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BEWARE! Authorities warn shoppers about fraudulent ALDI fridge and stove giveaway
Scammers certainly have no plans of slowing down as another fake supermarket promotion has taken a social media platform by storm. Keep an eye out for this cruel scheme, everyone!
An urgent warning has been issued to ALDI shoppers after a fake Facebook post claimed to give a fridge and stove free of charge.
The post in question is currently circulating online, informing unsuspecting customers that they can pick up one of the 670 free appliances if they follow a few steps.
The fraudsters included photos showing rows of fridges and stoves in what they claimed to be an ALDI warehouse.
Beware! The scam is currently circulating online. Source: Reader’s Digest
‘We are happy to announce that we will be donating 670 refrigerators and stoves. They cannot be sold due to a few scratches and minor damage.’ the cyber criminals wrote to make sense of the fake promotion.
‘All machines are in working order, so we will send them randomly to someone who writes “DONE” in the comments section.’
Once a user engages with the post, they are directed to a website and then asked to hand over sensitive and personal details. Since the scam was posted, thousands of shoppers were manipulated.
The post garnered more than 4,000 comments and shares, with roughly 3,300 users sharing why they desperately needed a shot at receiving the items.
The scammers claimed to give away fridges and stoves. Source: 7News
‘My fridge broke a month ago and I’m a single mum who can’t afford a new one,’ one mum explained. ‘I’d really appreciate it.’
‘I’m desperate to score one of these. I am really down on my luck and need something to go my way.’
A third praised: ‘ALDI is the best for offering this to their loyal customers. So kind.’
While many were quick to doubt the validity of the offer, thousands of vulnerable and elderly users have fallen for similar scams.
‘Scams like this are directed at people who are down on their luck.’ one person wrote.
‘Elderly people and people with a disability often fall victim to these types of scams and the people who go after them are scumbags.’
The ACCC’s Scamwatch detailed that phishing scams–such as this fake ALDI post–work by convincing consumers that they’re dealing with a genuine retailer.
‘Phishing messages are designed to look genuine, often copying the format used by the organisation that the scammer is pretending to represent, including their branding and logo.’ it said.
‘They will take you to a fake website that looks like the real deal but has a slightly different address. For example, if the legitimate site is “www.realbank.com.au”, the scammer may use an address like “www.reallbank.com”.’
‘If you provide the scammer with your details online or over the phone, they will use them to carry out fraudulent activities, such as using your credit cards and stealing your money.’
If you ever stumble across this fake post or similar dodgy offers online, please report it immediately to ScamWatch or help us spread awareness about recent scams by posting it in the forum.
Learn how you can protect yourself from scammers by reading our e-Book on Cyber Safety.
What are your thoughts about this article? Have you ever come across a similar tactic online? Let us know in the comments below!
