Shoppers beware: Woolworths hit by ‘illegal’ barcode sticker scam
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It’s an alarming con that could cost you a lot of money if you’re not careful.
Woolworths shoppers have been warned to be on the lookout for a sophisticated new barcode sticker scam that appears to be the first of its kind.
Gift cards are a great gift option for shoppers because they allow the recipient to get what they want.
Unfortunately, this is what scammers are currently using to steal money from unsuspecting customers.
Adam and his girlfriend Gabby, both from Queensland, spoke to reporters about how they were swindled out of $200 after purchasing a Woolworths gift card that had been tampered with.
The scam involves criminals placing a fraudulent barcode sticker over the original barcode found on the back of the gift cards.
The replacement barcode stickers correspond to a card already in the con artist’s possession. So, when the compromised card has funds added to it by an unsuspecting customer, it goes directly to the scammer’s card that is linked to the tampered barcode sticker.
It is believed that this is the first supermarket scam to employ this kind of tactic, which prompted the supermarket to release a statement warning its customers.
Adam said Gabby only noticed the suspicious barcode sticker while investigating why the gift card had no funds in it.
‘She purchased a Wish Gift Card from Woolworths at Woolloongabba, Brisbane, and put $200 on the card,’ he stated.
Later on, when she tried to access the funds, the balance still showed $0.00. Upon further investigation, the pair realised that a printed barcode was over the original barcode.
‘After doing some research, it turns out this is a scam...seen in Canberra and many other countries,’ Adam claimed.
He added that they brought this incident to the attention of Woolworths staff, who initially told them to wait 48 hours to see if the $200 appeared on the card.
However, after speaking to their local store’s manager, their case was escalated to the authorities and is now being investigated by the police.
‘We spoke with the customer service manager and they refunded the money,’ Adam told reporters.
Upon further prodding, it was revealed that someone had planted the card Adam and Gabby bought in the store. According to reports, that particular green Wish card the pair had was not one that Woolworths currently keeps in stock.
Adam revealed: ‘They contacted the police and an investigation is underway. They are going to review the CCTV prior to the 18th of February, which was when the card was purchased, to see if they can find out who put the card there.’
He explained that the Customer Service Manager said that the police have not seen cases of this particular barcode scam in their area before.
‘She also told us that they audited their gift cards and could not find any more tampered cards.’
A representative from Woolworths encouraged shoppers to be on the lookout for tampered gift cards.
They said: ‘Our store teams have been trained to support customers who may have been impacted by gift card-related scams.’
According to the spokesperson, customers should check the back of the barcode whenever they purchase any gift cards to make sure it hasn’t been replaced or tampered with. If shoppers find any concerns, they said that it should be raised immediately to a Woolies team member.
Adam said he was concerned that other shoppers may fall victim to a similar scam, and also urges consumers to check their gift cards for suspicious barcode stickers.
‘What makes this even more concerning is that there is absolutely no mention of this particular scam on the Woolworths Scam Alert page,’ Adam said at the time.
He alleged that ‘more customers are at risk of being scammed’ through their stores because it appears that there are no security checks in place for these types of scams.
‘We, the consumers, are the ones that are left to ensure our gift card purchases have not been tampered with by scammers.’
He further claimed that anyone is capable of committing this scam all the way through the supply chain, and that ‘it could have been done by a staff member’.
‘What kind of training do staff have in regards to tampered gift cards? What is Woolworths doing to ensure they are not facilitating fraud? Why are gift cards allowed to sit out in the open where anyone could potentially commit this crime? These questions need to be answered,’ Adam declared.
It is understood that Woolworths has had a small number of cases of gift card fraud reported to them in the past six months. Another sophisticated scam, where the criminal impersonates Woolworths Service Desk workers, was reported in the past. You can read more on that here.
As of writing, the sophisticated barcode scam is not on the supermarket’s scam alert website. What they do have is a warning for a scam that claims criminals are working for government agencies, such as the police, and instructing victims to urgently purchase gift cards to repay fines.
On their website, it said that after the cards have been purchased, the victim will be asked to share the 16-digit code on the back of the card. The store warned customers that government agencies will never request gift cards as a form of payment.
Consumers are also urged to stay updated on the latest scams circulating in Australia via the ACCC’s Scamwatch page. Alternatively, you can also browse through our forum to learn about the different scams targeting unsuspecting victims.
If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, report the incident to the ACCC here.
Stay safe out there, members! Did you know about this scam? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Woolworths shoppers have been warned to be on the lookout for a sophisticated new barcode sticker scam that appears to be the first of its kind.
Gift cards are a great gift option for shoppers because they allow the recipient to get what they want.
Unfortunately, this is what scammers are currently using to steal money from unsuspecting customers.
The sophisticated scam is said to be the first of its kind. Credit: Anna Shvets/Pexels
Adam and his girlfriend Gabby, both from Queensland, spoke to reporters about how they were swindled out of $200 after purchasing a Woolworths gift card that had been tampered with.
The scam involves criminals placing a fraudulent barcode sticker over the original barcode found on the back of the gift cards.
The replacement barcode stickers correspond to a card already in the con artist’s possession. So, when the compromised card has funds added to it by an unsuspecting customer, it goes directly to the scammer’s card that is linked to the tampered barcode sticker.
It is believed that this is the first supermarket scam to employ this kind of tactic, which prompted the supermarket to release a statement warning its customers.
Adam shared the photo of the tampered gift card. Credit: Adam and Gabby via 7 news
Adam said Gabby only noticed the suspicious barcode sticker while investigating why the gift card had no funds in it.
‘She purchased a Wish Gift Card from Woolworths at Woolloongabba, Brisbane, and put $200 on the card,’ he stated.
Later on, when she tried to access the funds, the balance still showed $0.00. Upon further investigation, the pair realised that a printed barcode was over the original barcode.
‘After doing some research, it turns out this is a scam...seen in Canberra and many other countries,’ Adam claimed.
He added that they brought this incident to the attention of Woolworths staff, who initially told them to wait 48 hours to see if the $200 appeared on the card.
However, after speaking to their local store’s manager, their case was escalated to the authorities and is now being investigated by the police.
The pair’s case is now under investigation. Credit: Woolworths
‘We spoke with the customer service manager and they refunded the money,’ Adam told reporters.
Upon further prodding, it was revealed that someone had planted the card Adam and Gabby bought in the store. According to reports, that particular green Wish card the pair had was not one that Woolworths currently keeps in stock.
Adam revealed: ‘They contacted the police and an investigation is underway. They are going to review the CCTV prior to the 18th of February, which was when the card was purchased, to see if they can find out who put the card there.’
He explained that the Customer Service Manager said that the police have not seen cases of this particular barcode scam in their area before.
‘She also told us that they audited their gift cards and could not find any more tampered cards.’
The scam is sophisticated in nature and could end up victimising more people. Credit: Anna Tarazevich/Pexels
They said: ‘Our store teams have been trained to support customers who may have been impacted by gift card-related scams.’
According to the spokesperson, customers should check the back of the barcode whenever they purchase any gift cards to make sure it hasn’t been replaced or tampered with. If shoppers find any concerns, they said that it should be raised immediately to a Woolies team member.
Adam said he was concerned that other shoppers may fall victim to a similar scam, and also urges consumers to check their gift cards for suspicious barcode stickers.
‘What makes this even more concerning is that there is absolutely no mention of this particular scam on the Woolworths Scam Alert page,’ Adam said at the time.
He alleged that ‘more customers are at risk of being scammed’ through their stores because it appears that there are no security checks in place for these types of scams.
‘We, the consumers, are the ones that are left to ensure our gift card purchases have not been tampered with by scammers.’
He further claimed that anyone is capable of committing this scam all the way through the supply chain, and that ‘it could have been done by a staff member’.
‘What kind of training do staff have in regards to tampered gift cards? What is Woolworths doing to ensure they are not facilitating fraud? Why are gift cards allowed to sit out in the open where anyone could potentially commit this crime? These questions need to be answered,’ Adam declared.
It is understood that Woolworths has had a small number of cases of gift card fraud reported to them in the past six months. Another sophisticated scam, where the criminal impersonates Woolworths Service Desk workers, was reported in the past. You can read more on that here.
As of writing, the sophisticated barcode scam is not on the supermarket’s scam alert website. What they do have is a warning for a scam that claims criminals are working for government agencies, such as the police, and instructing victims to urgently purchase gift cards to repay fines.
On their website, it said that after the cards have been purchased, the victim will be asked to share the 16-digit code on the back of the card. The store warned customers that government agencies will never request gift cards as a form of payment.
Consumers are also urged to stay updated on the latest scams circulating in Australia via the ACCC’s Scamwatch page. Alternatively, you can also browse through our forum to learn about the different scams targeting unsuspecting victims.
If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, report the incident to the ACCC here.
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