FESTIVE online shoppers are being urged to be vigilant after a spate of scams offering “lucky” winners the chance to win hoax vouchers with a well-known supermarket.
Experts at the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) uncovered one scam promising Facebook users the opportunity to win one of 1000 vouchers worth £150 each at Morrisons.
The post attracted more than 2000 shares and comments in just 10 hours, with users hoping to win a contribution to their festive grocery bill simply by commenting “Me” on the post.
They received an automated reply with a link that led to a questionnaire webpage registered in the Bahamas, apparently intended to gather key data on each person that clicked through.
Gerry Grant, chief ethical hacker with Curious Frank, a division of the SBRC, said the festive season is a major draw for fraudsters: “There is no doubting that many of us feel the pinch over the Christmas and New Year, perhaps more than at any other time of the year. Criminal hackers and fraudsters are very aware of this. They know that we are simply more disposed to fall for a scam we otherwise wouldn’t.
“While we have investigated this one example by taking special precautions, we of course urge the public not to follow suit – and instead apply extra scrutiny and scepticism when coming across all online competitions and offers.”
While this scam uses Morrisons’ branding, the SBRC said evidence suggests the fraudsters will be using other stores to trick users.
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