Online Surveys Scams

SCAMwatch is warning people to beware of online scams – surveys, emails and social-media posts – offering fake gift vouchers or other bogus inducements in return for disclosing credit card and other personal information.

While many online surveys are legitimate and may be backed by some reward, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Woolworths have received an increased number of complaints about possible scams misusing the Woolworths name and logo, going under such titles as ‘Customer Satisfaction Survey to get $50’.

Scams such as these often ask people to provide credit card or other personal details, which criminals can use to commit identity theft and other fraud.

Woolworths is advising people that all its official competitions are listed at www.woolworths.com.au on its Promotions and Competitions page.

How these scams work

    These scams abuse the brand names and logos of well-known companies and products to make them look legitimate.
    As with many legitimate offers and online posts, you might be asked to complete a survey and/ or pass on an offer to others before you can claim a voucher or other inducement or enter a competition. But the scams will take your valuable information and give you only disappointment in return – products will never arrive or vouchers will be fakes that retailers won’t honour.
    Recent scams have related to supermarkets, coffee shops, smart phones and tablets, including offers featured on Facebook.

Protect yourself

    Be very wary when, for example, filling in surveys linked from social networking sites – being asked to provide such detailed information as Medicare numbers or credit-card security codes should ring alarm bells.
    You should check whenever you can whether offers are legitimate, even ones passed on from people you know. If the offers are represented as coming directly from a particular retailer, check they are listed on the retailers’ official websites – or call a business’ official customer-service line. Don’t click on links or call numbers listed in the offers – they can link to fake websites and even fake call centres.
    If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your financial institution immediately and report the scam to The Australian Communications and Media Authority http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=CONTACT_COMPLAINTS_OVIEW