A new wave of suspicious Sainsbury's vouchers offering £75 have emerged online.
The voucher prompts users to click on links and open so called 'coupons' to unlock huge discounts on their future spends.
The voucher, which reads "Sainsbury's is giving free £75 vouchers to EVERYONE for their anniversary", is being shared widely on Facebook.
However the supermarket has confirmed it is a hoax and cannot be used in stores or online.
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The email address that features at the footer of the social media post reads:
"SAINSBURYS-u98c59z.ukvoucher.us" - a format that has now been replicated across a multitude of high street brands and supermarkets, including Asda, John Lewis and Morrisons.
The coupons also include common promotional terms such as "1 coupon per person" and feature expiry dates which can make it seem genuine - however, it is highly likely that criminals are behind the scheming ads.
Customers are being warned not to click on any suspicious links or promotions without prior research - and if in doubt, to get in touch with the company in question directly.
The email addresses to watch for are as follows, although bear in mind that these address could change at any time:
- ASDA.COM-SPECIAL.US
- JOHNLEWIS-P65V60D.OWSUM.US
- WWW.MORRISONS-K8Q96N.MYCARTONS.US
- ARGOS.COM.TVADS.US
The coupons have entered circulation just months after a wave of fraudulent Aldi vouchers appeared online , offering a fake £65 in an attempt to get people to part with their personal information.
In all instances, customers who open the posts are asked to share it with a status - often 'Thanks for my coupon'.
However, on there are instances where customers appear to have received a call prior to the voucher code.
An Action Fraud spokesman told Mirror Money customers should be wary before clicking on an unsolicited links.
"Fraudsters will do everything they can to try and take personal and financial details from their victims. It is extremely tempting to click on links for vouchers whilst browsing on social media," an Action Fraud spokesperson said.
"However we ask people to be wary of clicking on unsolicited links and advise that they do their research first, before giving away any personal or financial details.”
Action Fraud tips to protect yourself from online voucher scams
- Be wary of clicking on unsolicited messages on social media, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Do some online research first - check the official supermarket website to see if there are any genuine offers available.
- Ensure that you have anti-virus software on your computer
- Never give out personal or financial data including usernames, passwords, PINs, ID numbers or memorable phrases.
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