Tradies are being urged to remain vigilant of new online gift card scams aiming to steal their bank card details.
The warning comes after a new phishing email surfaced this week targeting tradespeople and home renovation enthusiasts.
Disguised as a popular home improvement retailer, Bunnings, the scam email falsely promises readers a $500 gift voucher with just a click of a button under the guise of a “loyalty program”.
The carefully crafting scam then requests readers to fill out a short survey of personal alongside their credit card details to receive the gift card.
Those fooled by the email have since had money taken from their account and payment subscriptions made using their payment credentials.
The National Anti-Scam Centre was the first to flag the issue via social media platform X (Twitter).
“We’ve received reports of phishing emails claiming to be from Bunnings and offering a $500 gift card with a link to confirm. This is a scam,” they wrote.
“Don’t click on links and help others by reporting scams to Scamwatch.”
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the latest figures show that Aussies lost $3.1 billion to scams before April 2023.
$157.6 million was through phishing scams like this one, with 22 per cent of all scams via email.
Bunnings is no stranger to scammer targeting, with fraudulent social media pages, websites, emails and even texts preying on their loyal customers.
The retail giant frequently warns customers to look out for potential scams.
“Scams illegally use the Bunnings’ name and logo to trick people into giving out personal information,” they said.
“These schemes target people…offering the opportunity to win, or receive, gift cards, prizes, or false employment opportunities.”
“Bunnings is in no way associated with the above activities and does not use email or social media for any promotions or gift card offerings. Bunnings will never ask for personal information or banking details in unsolicited communications.”
Signs the communication you have received could be a “Bunnings scam” could include requests to:
- Fill out a ‘customer satisfaction’ survey and give personal details
- Share, comment and like a Facebook page
- Call a specified telephone number and provide personal information
- ‘Confirm’ personal details
- Claim a ‘prize’
When spotting scams, remember the adage, “If it is too good to be true, it usually is”.
Some telltale signs you could be getting scammed include:
- An extraordinary financial opportunity.
- Someone unknown requests your help or money.
- A message with links or attachments.
- Feeling pressured to act fast.
- Asking you to pay in advance or in specific ways.
- Requesting you set up new accounts to pay.
- They ask you to pay in an unusual or specific way.
- They ask you to set up new payment accounts.
If you believe you have been scammed, immediately cancel any card or payment details and notify your bank. Report the incident to Scamwatch and make an official complaint to the police.
