Tesco customers have been warned to be wary of a scam email promising free groceries after 197 reports of fraud in the last week.
Anyone that receives the email has been advised to delete it immediately and not to follow the link.
The dangerous email was flagged by cyber crime experts Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud and cyber reporting centre.
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The scam messages claimed people were able to win £500 worth of Tesco groceries by entering into a competition and providing personal details.
Action Fraud said: "Watch out for FAKE emails claiming to be from Tesco. The emails ask the recipient to use the provided link in order to win 'free groceries'.
"Report suspicious emails by forwarding them to: report@phishing.gov.uk.
"Action Fraud has received 197 reports within one week about fake emails purporting to be from Tesco.
"The emails state that the recipient can win 'free groceries' by entering a competition. The links provided in the emails lead to phishing websites that are designed to steal your personal and financial information."
The messages did contain some of the tell-tale signs of fraud, including poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and URLs that were not official Tesco sites.
Action Fraud's top tips for protecting yourself against fraud:
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Do not give any personal information to organisations or people before verifying their credentials.
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Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall installed.
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Many frauds start with a phishing email. Remember that banks and financial institutions will not send you an email asking you to click on a link and confirm your bank details. Do not trust such emails, even if they look genuine.
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Sign-up to Verified by Visa or MasterCard Secure Code whenever you are given the option while shopping online. This involves you registering a password with your card company and adds an additional layer of security to online transactions with signed-up retailers.
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You should regularly get a copy of your credit file and check it for entries you don’t recognise.
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Destroy and preferably shred receipts with your card details on and post with your name and address on. Identity fraudsters don’t need much information in order to be able to clone your identity.
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If you receive bills, invoices or receipts for things that you haven’t bought, or financial institutions you don’t normally deal with contact you about outstanding debts, take action. Your identity may have been stolen.
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Be extremely wary of post, phone calls or emails offering you business deals out of the blue. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
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