[Chiu]

Cash being stolen from a nicely sealed Coles MasterCard​

I would like to alert my fellow seniors of possible traps we could easily fall victims to.

I have been a loyal shopper of Coles Supermarket. Back in mid June when I got the news via this Newsletter that Coles was selling Gift cards at a 10% discount. At this time of rising cost of living, I rushed to Coles to get four $250 Gift card, in order to save about $70 of groceries ($7 admin fee for each card). I have been purchasing Senior discount cards from Woolworth and IGA. I started using these Coles Master cards one by one. Used two without any problems. This Monday Aug 29, 2022 when I opened the third one at the supermarket, after shopping for about $88 of groceries, the card was declined at the Self-serve terminal. I asked for a staff member's help and kept trying to pay by that card without success. I was quite confident there should be $250 in that newly opened card. The staff member told me to follow the instructions on the back of the card by calling customer service.

I rushed home to follow up. Saw the check balance link on the back of the card so I looked it up. Shockingly, it shows there was a $228 transaction 10 days earlier that someone spent it at a massage place, leaving only $22 on the card.

I contacted all the accessible channels: Called (1) customer service to report stolen card information - they said they can investigate but may take 35+ days without guarantee what could happen. Then I contacted (2) Coles via facebook messenger, being referred to (3) Customer Support; Customer Support referred further to (4) Prepaid cards; then I tried (5) Coles online contact....after many rounds of communications Prepaid Cards replied that there is a small print terms and conditions that they are not responsible for unauthorised transaction......it was so traumatized after calling and contacting all these sections but no one could offer any assistance.

I'm just a senior pensioner, spent $900+ wanting to save $70 but my $228 was stolen due to the insecurity of Coles prepaid cards. These cards activated at the point of purchase, no further activation or password are required so someone who has access to the process may be able to steal these cards' information.

Yesterday someone from Coles emailed me to notify they are following up my case, asked me to forward all my communications and relevant documentations, where I requested to have the card replaced (no further follow up yet as at today) and hopefully they would be able to do something to give me back $250. (now that the card has been reported and being deactivated, even the $22 balance is not accessible).

So please let others know to be alert of such a scam, even from a card in a nicely sealed packaging bought from Coles.

 

[Sethia Soliman]

I would like to alert my fellow seniors of possible traps we could easily fall victims to.

I have been a loyal shopper of Coles Supermarket. Back in mid June when I got the news via this Newsletter that Coles was selling Gift cards at a 10% discount. At this time of rising cost of living, I rushed to Coles to get four $250 Gift card, in order to save about $70 of groceries ($7 admin fee for each card). I have been purchasing Senior discount cards from Woolworth and IGA. I started using these Coles Master cards one by one. Used two without any problems. This Monday Aug 29, 2022 when I opened the third one at the supermarket, after shopping for about $88 of groceries, the card was declined at the Self-serve terminal. I asked for a staff member's help and kept trying to pay by that card without success. I was quite confident there should be $250 in that newly opened card. The staff member told me to follow the instructions on the back of the card by calling customer service.

I rushed home to follow up. Saw the check balance link on the back of the card so I looked it up. Shockingly, it shows there was a $228 transaction 10 days earlier that someone spent it at a massage place, leaving only $22 on the card.

I contacted all the accessible channels: Called (1) customer service to report stolen card information - they said they can investigate but may take 35+ days without guarantee what could happen. Then I contacted (2) Coles via facebook messenger, being referred to (3) Customer Support; Customer Support referred further to (4) Prepaid cards; then I tried (5) Coles online contact....after many rounds of communications Prepaid Cards replied that there is a small print terms and conditions that they are not responsible for unauthorised transaction......it was so traumatized after calling and contacting all these sections but no one could offer any assistance.

I'm just a senior pensioner, spent $900+ wanting to save $70 but my $228 was stolen due to the insecurity of Coles prepaid cards. These cards activated at the point of purchase, no further activation or password are required so someone who has access to the process may be able to steal these cards' information.

Yesterday someone from Coles emailed me to notify they are following up my case, asked me to forward all my communications and relevant documentations, where I requested to have the card replaced (no further follow up yet as at today) and hopefully they would be able to do something to give me back $250. (now that the card has been reported and being deactivated, even the $22 balance is not accessible).

So please let others know to be alert of such a scam, even from a card in a nicely sealed packaging bought from Coles.

Thank you SO much for sharing this with us, @Chiu ! I'm so sorry to hear about your experience I'm praying that you get your money back soon and hoping that the other seniors will see this so they can spread the word too.