Aldi customers urged to stay away from fake £65 vouchers - how to stay safe

The German retailer is investigating the scam

The supermarket did not specify how many people were affected by the scam (Reuters)

Aldi customers have been warned to stay away from hoax vouchers circulating on email and social media which trick shoppers into thinking that they can save money.

The German retailer said the £65 vouchers, that circulated on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, are worthless and will not be accepted as legal tender at their stores.

Aldi said it was investigating the scam and urged customers not to share their personal details, which could help scammers to commit identity fraud.

“We advise customers to ignore these adverts and not to share any personal information,” the supermarket said in a statement sent to the Independent.

On Twitter, the supermarket said: “We are aware that there is a hoax £65 Aldi voucher being circulated. This voucher is fraudulent and cannot be redeemed in store.”

“Aldi UK will never ask you to share your personal details via a website to redeem a genuine voucher offer. This is being investigated.”

The supermarket did not specify how many people were affected by the scam, but it isn’t the first time scammers have targeted the Aldi brand.

Last year, shoppers were offered a fake £85 Aldi voucher to supposedly celebrate the retailer’s 55th anniversary.

So what should you look out for to make sure you don’t fall for the scam and to check that your computer is protected?

Aldi will never ask for personal information to be supplied via a website in return for vouchers

Requests for you security details such as your PIN or full password should be ignored.

Keep an eye out for phony email messages

An official email from a major organisation will not contain typos. Delete it. American spellings in emails purporting to be from UK firms can also be a giveaway. Do not assume an email request is genuine.

Make sure your computer is configured securely

Candid Wüest, threat researcher at software company Symantec, previously told The Independent:

“Configuring popular internet applications such as your web browser and email software is one of the most important areas to focus on.”

“The strongest security settings will give you the most control over what happens online but may also frustrate some people with a large number of questions (‘This may not be safe, are you sure you want do this?’) or the inability to do what they want to do. Often security and privacy settings can be properly configured without any sort of special expertise by simply using the ‘help’ feature of your software or reading the vendor’s website.”

Choose strong passwords and keep them safe

“Strong passwords have eight characters or more and use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols (e.g., # $ % ! ?),” said Mr Wüest.

“Avoid using any of the following as your password: your login name, anything based on your personal information such as your last name, and words that can be found in the dictionary. Keep your passwords in a safe place and try not to use the same password for every service you use online.”

“Change passwords on a regular basis, at least every 90 days. This can limit the damage caused by someone who has already gained access to your account. If you notice something suspicious with one of your online accounts, one of the first steps you can take is to change your password.”

Beware of attachments

Don’t click on attachments or prompts to install software on your computer.