An urgent alert has been issued after reports ASDA shoppers are being targeted by a worrying new scam.
If you shop at ASDA and suddenly see an email in your inbox saying you have won a ‘prize’ beware. It appears that users of this popular retailer are being targeted by a new scam that’s trying to trick them into handing over personal details. The alarm has been raised by the cyber security team Action Fraud. They say they have been inundated by people saying they have been sent the enticing-looking message.
In fact, there have been almost 2,000 complaints from UK consumers about the ASDA ‘free prize’ email which suggests a gift is waiting but only if a quick survey is completed.
Of course, there is no free prize. Instead, the scammers use this simple tactic to find out personal details such as names, home addresses, phone numbers and email data.
Speaking about the threat, Action Fraud said on X (formerly Twitter ): “We’ve received over 1,700 reports about FAKE emails purporting to be from ASDA.
“The emails are designed to trick people into completing a survey in order to claim a free prize. If you receive a suspicious email, you can report it by forwarding the email to: [email protected]”
If you get a message that appears to have come from ASDA – or another UK retailer – claiming you’ve won something be very careful before handing over any details. A simple check of the sender’s address will often reveal that it’s come from a scammer and not an official source.
“Beware of scam text messages or emails claiming to offer Asda prizes,” ASDA confirmed.
“Please always read a message carefully before clicking on it and check the link before you enter your details. An official Asda competition or giveaway should link to an Asda website such as asda.com or george.com. Spelling mistakes or grammatical errors are also clues that a post could be a fake. Unfortunately we have no control over third party websites and can only warn you not to be taken in by them and to warn your friends if they share these posts with you.”
So remember, don’t ever hand out data such as name, home address or bank details without doing some research first – unless you’ve entered a competition, it’s highly unlikely you’ve won some freebies.
