Aldi shoppers are being targeted by criminals who are promising free vouchers in exchange for their personal details.
The coupons, which have appeared on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and email, claim that free £250 vouchers are being handed out via a special Aldi link.
However, the site itself is a copycat version of the Aldi page, and clicking on it could mean you're sharing your details directly with a criminal.
Dozens of people have taken to social media to warn customers of the vouchers in the past month.
They claim it's been shared on social media, by friends in WhatsApp groups and in some cases, via email.
Sign up to get the Mirror’s daily coronavirus briefing email at mirror.co.uk/email - in your inbox after the press conference every evening.
Victims are told they could get a 'free Aldi coupon' by visiting a seemingly innocent Aldi page, and then providing their personal details.
Aldi told the Mirror it is not currently running a £250 coupon promotion in a warning to shoppers.
An Aldi spokesperson said: “The vouchers being circulated online are fraudulent. We advise customers to ignore these adverts and not to share any personal information."
If you receive one of the vouchers, there are some telltale signs to watch out for - such as how you're addressed and poor grammar.
First of all, check for spelling and punctuation mistakes. Second, supermarkets are unlikely to ask you to share detailed personal information with them, so treat any such request with suspicion.
Finally, and most importantly, is the very concept itself. Just imagine the whopping cost of Aldi giving everyone £250 worth of free shopping.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
How to protect yourself
Be wary of clicking on unsolicited messages on social media, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
Do some online research first - check the official supermarket website to see if there are any genuine offers available.
Ensure that you have anti-virus software on your computer
Never give out personal or financial data including usernames, passwords, PINs, ID numbers or memorable phrases.
Check the spelling, grammar, graphic design or image quality. Over email, they may use odd ‘spe11lings’ or ‘cApiTals’ in the email subject to fool your spam filter.
- A genuine email will only ever address you by your full name at the beginning – anything that starts ‘Dear customer’ should immediately raise your suspicions.
- Never give personal or account details to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. Be suspicious even if they claim to be from your bank or the police.
To report an incident and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.
