Asda shoppers warned to look out for this huge Facebook scam

Asda customers have been warned to look out for a scam circulating on social media currently.

Supermarket shoppers are being targeted by scammers (opens in new tab), with victims reporting that Asda's CEO is being impersonated on Facebook in an attempt to dupe unknowing users.

Online shoppers have been warned against giving their personal and bank details out online after scammers posed as Asda's Chief Executive Roger Burnley.

The fraudulent adverts posted across Facebook on an 'Asda Stores' page, were tempting shoppers with a free £35 gift box in return for entering their personal bank details onto the site.

But the reward was too good to be true and actually turned out to be a false message after Parliament Street think tank's cyber rescue teams intervened to discover the man pictured at random with the words falsely attributed to Mr Burnley.

The false advert reads, 'My name is Roger Burnley and I am the CEO of ASDA Inc. I have an announcement to make – To celebrate our 71st Anniversary this year we are giving everyone who shares and comments by 11.59pm tonight one of these gift boxes containing a £35 ASDA voucher plus surprises that will make your heart flutter.'

But with more than 4,000 Facebook users liking the advert and more than 5,000 others posting comments of thanks to the grocer, fears are growing over the amount of people that may have been conned into entering their details.

The advert has since been removed from the social media site.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=130013285579696&id=100057130742603

Cyber security company Centrify’s Andy Heather warned, “This is the latest in a series of online scams utilising social media posts to fool shoppers into handing over their bank details.

“Companies must do more to educate workers about the cyber risks associated with remote working, and ensure they have the security systems in place to verify the identify of staff, to keep hackers locked out from the company systems.”

But with many people left without jobs or on low income due to the coronavirus pandemic, the scam is the latest in a string of scams of its kind - the second in the last two months.

Back in October cyber criminals used a similar technique to pose as M&S.

For more details on how to shop online safely visit Action Fraud (opens in new tab) and report anything suspicious.