Urgent warning to Morrisons shoppers over ‘free food’ scam – how to avoid it | #socialmedia | #hacking | #aihp

SHOPPERS at one of Britain’s biggest supermarket chains are urged to make sure they don’t get duped by scams doing the rounds online.

Pages on social media promising “free food” and “vouchers” are usually too good to be true.

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Morrisons has urged customers to be wary of a post promising free food.

One Facebook page that goes by the name “Morrisons Fans” has been accused of falsely offering customers free boxes of food worth £30.

The post requires viewers click a link to claim the food.

However, the link is not affiliated with Morrisons and, worryingly, asks customers to fill in their personal details.

The page describes itself as a forum to help shoppers during the cost of living crisis.

Shoppers on the page are encouraged to like and share the post more widely on the false promise that it could increase their chances of winning free food from the supermarket chain.

Facebook users who come across the post should report it to the site and warn others that it’s not legit, Morrisons said.

With many people online questioning the legitimacy of the post, Morrisons has stepped in to warn customers about the scam.

In a statement issued on the supermarket’s own verified Facebook page, Morrisons said: “Hi everyone, we are aware of a page that is offering free food boxes if you provide your personal details.

“This is not our page as we only post from our verified Facebook account and we would advise reporting it on Facebook when you see it.

“If you are concerned about any details you have given via a link sent from this page, we would advise contacting Action Fraud. Thank you all for letting us know about this and have a lovely evening.”

A spokesperson from Morrisons has since told The Sun: “We have been in touch with Facebook to ask that this fake account is removed immediately.”

How do I report scams like this?

If the scams first picked up on social media – report it direct to the firm.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) also allows members of the public to report scam emails, texts, websites and adverts with a few clicks of a button.

There’s different methods to report each type of scam:

• Advert scams: Report all ad scams to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) through their online form

• Text scams: If you get a dodgy looking text message, forward it to the number ‘7726’. You can also report scam text messages to report@phishing.gov.uk

• Website scams: Report the URL directly to the NCSC by filling in their online form

I think I’ve been scammed, what do I do?

Firstly, it’s super important to end all communication with the associated scam.

Call your bank to notify them of any suspicious payments and make sure to cancel any recurring payments.

Call and report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. You can also report a scam online on the Action Fraud website.

In Scotland? You’ll need to report the scam to Advice Direct Scotland by calling 0808 164 6000 or visiting the Advice Direct Scotland website.

Citizens Advice Scams Action via the Citizens Advice website, can give you advice if you’ve been seriously affected by a scam. You can also call its Scams Action helpline on 0808 250 5050.