Fake Coles gift voucher scam

Fake Coles gift voucher scam

It has been some time since we put up a post about a gift voucher scam. There is a reason for that: we have not found any scam in the quantity that indicates a concerted attack. That changed in the last day. Today we present the latest gift voucher. This voucher purports to be from Coles. It is another scam. Clicking on the links leads to a site that attempts to steal your banking details.

Nasty stuff, especially when you realise the voucher you receive at the end of the “survey” is useless. Gift voucher scams are not as common as phishing campaigns targeting PayPal and bank users. They are still dangerous. Be cautious of receiving emails claiming you can win or receive a gift voucher. If in doubt, check with the retailer first.

Figure A shows the email. It’s a fancy looking email. There is no greeting. The email subject line is enticing: “Do you want a $50 Coles Gift Card?” The Email is from “Survey Gift Card”. The email domain is not a Coles domain. There are four links. All lead back to the same malicious site, although they link to different directories. The main link is to the button with anchor text “Start Now”.

The email states that you just need to complete a survey for the chance to win a gift voucher. Clicking on the links takes you to a site that requests personal information. At the final stage you can print out a (worthless) voucher.

MailShark Fake Coles gift voucher scam
Figure A – Click to Enlarge

These types of emails are another variant of the phishing scams we receive each week. The bait used in this case is the chance to win a gift voucher. This is an attractive offer, but unfortunately it is a fake. Don’t click on the links in this email; delete it if you receive it.

Scott Reeves
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