Shoppers are being warned not to be fooled by genuine-looking emails offering free supermarket vouchers during the coronavirus lockdown.
Emails offering free Tesco vouchers are a scam, advises Action Fraud.
The UK's National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre posted the warning on social media on Wednesday after receiving over 300 reports about fake emails purporting to be from Tesco.
The fake email contains a link to a genuine-looking phishing website that is designed to steal login credentials as well as personal and financial information.
Action Fraud advises people not to click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails and to never respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial information.
In a message posted on Twitter, Action Fraud said: "ALERT: We've received several reports about these fake Tesco emails offering ‘free vouchers’ during the coronavirus outbreak.
"The link leads to a convincing-looking phishing website that is designed to steal your login, personal and financial information!"
Earlier on Wednesday, Action Fraud also warned that criminals are exploiting the coronavirus pandemic by selling fake medical products online.
These include self-testing kits, ‘miracle cures’, ‘antiviral misting sprays’ and unlicensed medicines.
At this time, there are currently no medicines licensed specifically for the treatment or prevention of Covid-19 and there are no CE marked self-testing kits approved for home use.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has disabled nine domain names and social media accounts selling fake or unauthorised Covid-19 products.
Action Fraud also warns that more people may fall victim to online shopping fraudsters as they self-isolate and said some of the common complaints include:
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buyers receiving goods late, or not at all
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sellers not receiving payment
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buyers receiving goods that are either less valuable than those advertised or significantly different from the original description
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failure to disclose relevant information about a product or the terms of sale
"If you are a victim of shopping or auction fraud, the most immediate problem is that you have no real prospect of returning the goods or having your money refunded," warned Action Fraud.
"After this, there is a risk that your identity details could be compromised. Fraudsters could steal your identity and use it to access your personal finances or obtain goods or finance from alternative sources. "
What should you do if you're duped?
If the seller has misrepresented the goods you’ve bought, report it to Action Fraud.
Keep all evidence of the offence, including goods and correspondence.
If there is a business dispute over the nature of the transaction, contact the website involved.
