Free Shopping Scam Victimizes Asda

According to a recent release in thisismoney.co.uk on October 22, 2012, shoppers are cautioned about phishing emails purporting Asda, (which is a British supermarket chain into retailing of clothing, food, toys, financial services, and general merchandise) proclaimed to be from fraudsters for extracting personal details.

The email announces about free Asda shopping gift card ranging from £50-1,000 to customers.

The mail also encourages the customers to visit a website where they are further asked to fill all personal information including date of birth, name, address, and mobile number.

The website hold big promise towards offering customers a year's free shopping at
Asda.

However, according to a spokesman for Asda, such e-mails entails further verification and as they are not sent from Asda, customers are requested to check the authenticity of such mails from the company itself, as reported by thisismoney.co.uk on October 22, 2012.

Asda further carried its proclamation towards helping customers through its Facebook account by asking people not to respond such e-mails that promises big prizes and attempt to capture personal details, as accords a news in retail-week.com on October 23, 2012.

While analyzing the ongoing phishing scam, security experts acclaimed that it is mainly because of email campaign that phishing over the Internet has witnessed a surge.

Asda is the latest victim in a series of scams. In August 2012, Morrisons, the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, was hit by a scam whereby Facebook users were offered gift vouchers in the grocers' name. Morrisons warned shoppers not to follow instructions to receive a 'free £250 Gift Voucher from Morrisons' at the time.

In a series of scams, Asda seems to be the most recent victim. However, at the advent of this year a similar scam targeted customers at online retailer Ticketweb, with the same aim of extracting their personal details. A link included with the e-mail supposedly directed the users to provide all personal information. Nevertheless, Ticketweb, a subsidiary of web giant Ticketmaster regretted this to its users and advised them to remain more alert in the future.

Related article: Free Web Host Services: spammer’s bull’s eye

» SPAMfighter News - 10/31/2012