Yahoo Finance Woolworths warns customers to watch for this email scam
Woolworths is warning customers to be on the lookout for an email scam offering gift cards worth up to $2000.
The scammers are taking advantage of a processing error by payments provider Cuscal, which saw a number of Woolworths costumers charged twice for purchases made nearly six months ago.
It claims customers have a "victory" and apologises for overcharging them.
A number of customers took to Facebook on Tuesday to report the emails.
“You may have been overcharged by Woolworths,” the email reads. “And we are very sorry for that.”
“As a part of the settlement we are offering you and 52 other Woolworths regulars a Gift Card worth $2000 to use on tons of great discounts at Woolworths.
Customers have expressed their concerns on Facebook about the email encouraging the “regulars” to click through for their consolation.
One customer warned she clicked on the link and is now receiving “harassing texts phone calls”.
A Woolworths spokesman told News Corp the supermarket had no affiliation with the scam and had reported it to the ACCC’s Scamwatch.
The supermarket’s website alerts customers to the email via its Scam Alerts and advises deleting any suspicious emails immediately or forwarding them on to hoax@woolworths.com.au.
Customers are warned not to click any links or attachments contained in the email.
Last week, the ACCC’s Scamwatch warned of a surge in fake text messages and email scams offering shoppers Coles and Woolworths customers free gift cards.
Woolworths has also posted in-store warnings about fake ATO phone calls.
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“Woolworths is warning our customers to be aware of false calls made by persons claiming to be from the ATO, Director of Public Prosecutions or any other government agencies or businesses,” the warning reads.
“These scammers demand customers to purchase iTunes or other gift cards to pay fake debts otherwise face imprisonment, deportation, or threaten to make your financial situation public. Government agencies will never demand payment with gift cards.”
According to SmartCompany, Australians lost $127,000 in reported cases of unexpected winnings and prize scams in July, with 47.2 per cent of these coming from text message offers.
Cybersecurity firm MailGuard warned the number of attacks imitating big name brands was increasing in “frequency and sophistication”.
