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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Rebecca Smithers

There’s no prize for guessing these text messages are a con

Forced to delete an endless bombardment of Tesco scam texts.
Forced to delete an endless bombardment of Tesco scam texts. Photograph: Rawpixel Ltd/Alamy

I recently received a text from what appeared to be Tesco. It was giving “applause” to three named shoppers, including their postcodes, and of course one was me. I am an occasional Tesco shopper and have its Clubcard. It sounded as if I had won a prize. When I accessed the link on my phone, it directed me to a dodgy-looking survey branded with Tesco’s logo, offering the chance to “buy” smartphones at knockdown prices. I deleted the number but since then I have been bombarded with texts from a series of different numbers, all supposedly from Tesco, and all urging me to collect my prize from the draw.

NA, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

This is a scam – and nothing to do with Tesco. Don’t click on any such link (which is an attempt to get you to part with personal information) and delete the message immediately. Tesco tells us it would never share personal information, such as customers’ addresses, with other shoppers. You can also report it to Action Fraud to help in its ongoing fight against scammers.

We understand there is another “Tesco scam” circulating on Facebook, involving a claim that everyone who shares a Tesco giveaway post will be sent a £50 coupon which applies “today only”. However, this is also fraudulent and has no connection to Tesco. You have no chance of winning, and may risk your privacy and security.

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to terms and conditions

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