Security experts are warning email users about a new threat that’s hit Britain. Action Fraud – the national cyber crime and fraud reporting centre for the UK – are warning Britons about a fake message being spread by scammers that’s allegedly from tech retail giant Currys. The bogus message claims the high-street store is giving away a gift pack worth £250 which continues goodies from nappy makers Pampers. However, these bogus messages are just a way to scam people with crooks attempting to snatch sensitive personal and financial information.
Warning about the threat, Action Fraud said they had received hundreds of reports about the scam in the space of a week.
On Twitter the fraud experts said: “Fake Currys emails offering Pampers gift package.
“Action Fraud has received 292 reports in one week relating to fake emails purporting to be from Currys.
“The emails claim to offer the recipient the chance to win a ‘£250 Pampers gift package’.
“The links in the email lead to genuine-looking websites that are designed to steal personal and financial information.”
Pampers has also been alerting its followers on Twitter to the nasty scam.
The nappy makers said: “Hi Pampers Family, we want to make sure that you’re safe from scams. We love to offer discounts and freebies but will only do this via Pampers official website, pampersuk_ire Instagram, Pampers Squad and our NEW Pampers Club App loyalty programme.”
Express.co.uk has also contacted Currys for comment about the scam.
To help you spot a threat, there are a few things to bear in mind to help you avoid falling victim to a hoax.
Firstly, if you receive an unsolicited message asking for personal or financial information this should always send alarm bells ringing.
And before trusting such a message – even if it is offering something appealing – double-check a few things and ask questions.
For instance, with this latest Currys email, the retailer doesn’t sell Pampers products so such a promotion would be a surprise.
You should also check the sender’s details – this can often be a clear sign of a scam as the message may have been sent from an unofficial-looking email address.
If you follow all of this advice but still aren’t 100 percent sure it’s best simply to get in contact directly with the organisation in question.
While this will take a bit of extra time it will save you a lot more in the time that would be lost and the stress you would face if you did unfortunately fell victim to such a hoax.
If you are sent a scam message you can forward it directly to authorities. Simply send it across to [email protected].
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