The fake messages on the WhatsApp for supermarket scams has appeared its head again and users are still being caught out, Action Fraud has warned.
In November last year, the fraudsters sent a message with a link and the promise of a free £250 gift card for either Sainsbury’s , M&S, Tesco and Asda.
Now it’s Waitrose.
These fake messages are designed to steal shoppers’ personal information so if you do receive these messages delete it immediately.
Lynne Daniels a resident from Solihull said: “I have had these for Tesco, Aldi and more and last week, friends from the dive club had the promise of big bucks from Waitrose to celebrate their 113th anniversary!
“Who celebrates 113 years?
“I have ignored them all because my son Simon said ‘no one gives you something for nothing’.”
These fraudsters are not just using WhatsApp to target people but a new email to attempt to obtain usernames, passwords and any personal details
The email scam is concerning Debenhams and will contain an exact copy of an email receipt from the retailer in order to get the recipient to click on links and give away personal details.
Action Fraud said on its website: “This Debenhams e-receipt is the most convincing #phishing email we’ve seen and could be lurking in your inbox. “Fraudsters have created an exact replica of a real e-receipt, but you’ll notice they’re sent from personal email addresses and not Debenhams. We’ve had 55+ reports!
“If you do suspect you’ve been sent the phishing email then don’t click any links or open any attachments in the email, make sure you check that it’s from an official source and not a personal email. And if you’re particularly concerned you can ring up the company it was sent from to double check.”
Action Fraud have given the following tips for staying safe from WhatsApp scams:
*Install security software on your device and keep it up to date.
*Never click on unsolicited links in messages that you that receive, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
*Follow WhatsApp’s advice for staying safe whilst using the messaging service.
*To report a fraud and cyber crime and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.
