Scam warning

Scam Alert

Coles advises customers to be aware of text messages, phone calls, websites, competitions and other unsolicited contact that use the Coles brand without Coles’ permission or which promote Coles Gift Cards or other gift cards in an attempt to appear legitimate.

These offers predominantly attempt to collect your personal details, financial information or request payment for goods or services. Coles will never request personal or banking details in unsolicited communications and legitimate businesses or government agencies will never request payment in gift cards.

You are encouraged to be wary of requests to:

• Complete a customer satisfaction survey that promises a reward at completion, where you are asked for personal details or financial information
• Sharing/liking a Facebook post in exchange for a gift card/voucher
• Calling a specific phone number and providing personal information 
• Clicking on an email that links with a malicious website
• Purchase and provide the redemption code from gift card/vouchers
• Access your computer when you have not reported an issue 

Also note that all communication from our Coles social media accounts will have a blue verified tick next to the name like the images shown below.

If you receive contact on social media that looks like it has come from a Coles account however does not have the blue verified tick next to the name, this is not from us!

You can help stamp out online scams and fraudulent activity by reporting these to the Australian Taxation Office on 1300 795 995 or Scamwatch via their website at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam.

Unfortunately, there are ‘Phishing’ scams out there that are set up by scammers to trick you into giving out personal information. To learn more, visit the below Scamwatch link: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/attempts-to-gain-your-personal-information/phishing

If you have concerns about an offer you have been sent, you can validate this by contacting us via the contact us page here. 

Current scam alerts

A number of Coles customers have recently reached out to us to validate whether particular offers they are receiving are legitimate. Please be wary of the following types of scams in circulation.

 Example 1: Gift Card Scams

Customers are being contacted by scammers claiming to be from a government agency or business, such as the ATO, Centrelink, Telstra or Microsoft, or receiving emails claiming to be from someone they trust, such as their boss and urged to purchase gift cards at their local Coles store to pay for items such as a tax debt/fine to avoid arrest, an outstanding bill for goods or services, for team rewards or just as a favour.

They are then instructed to provide the 16-digit code (from the back of the card) and once done the card is emptied and the customer has lost their money.

Please be mindful of these types of requests and do not respond, no matter how convincing they sound, only a scammer will ask for gift cards as payment.

This type of activity can also be reported to the Australian Taxation Office on 1300 795 995, Scamwatch via their website at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam or Coles Customer Care on 1800 061 562.

Example 2: Emails to collect a voucher or gift card in store
 

Customers may receive emails that appear to be from a trusted Coles email address, offering the opportunity for you to ‘win’ a gift card or voucher which can be collected in store.

These scams are sent in an attempt to obtain personal information such as a bank account or credit card numbers as well as passwords.

In most cases, once you click on the link within the email, you are redirected to a ‘phishing site’ where they will request your personal information and use this to carry out fraudulent activities.

Example 3: Emails to advise a gift card has been ‘won'
 

Customers may receive emails that appear to be from a trusted Coles email address, advising that they have in fact ‘won’ a high value gift card.

These scams are sent in an attempt to obtain personal information such as a bank account or credit card numbers as well as passwords.

In most cases, once you click on the link within the email, you are redirected to a ‘phishing site’ where they will request your personal information and use this to carry out fraudulent activities.

Example 4: Emails not from ‘Coles’ to advise a gift card has been ‘won’

Customers may receive emails from a different ‘organisation’, advising that they have in fact ‘won’ a high value gift card.

These scams are also sent in an attempt to obtain personal information such as a bank account or credit card numbers as well as passwords.

Example 5: Emails to go into a draw to win a gift card
 

Customers may receive emails that appear to be from a trusted Coles email address, advising that they have been selected to go into a draw to win a $500.00 Coles Gift Card.

These scams are sent in an attempt to obtain personal information such as a bank account or credit card numbers as well as passwords.

In most cases, once you click on the link within the email, you are redirected to a ‘phishing site’ where they will request your personal information and use this to carry out fraudulent activities.

Example 6: SMS/text message advising customers they have won a competition at 'Coles'
 

Customers may receive an SMS/text message, advising that they have in fact ‘won’ a monthly competition at Coles.

These scams are sent in an attempt to obtain bank account or credit card numbers as well as passwords.