Beware of social media posts offering ‘free’ Asda and Tesco vouchers
A ‘rewards’ company is offering free vouchers of up to £500 for retailers including Asda and Tesco on social media. But chasing these vouchers could cost you time and money, and you probably won’t get anything in return.
Here, we explain why you should be suspicious of posts offering vouchers in exchange for completing simple tasks, and offer advice on how to stay safe online.
What is Rewards Giant?
A company called Rewards Giant is promising ‘free’ retail vouchers in exchange for sharing and commenting on Facebook posts or clicking on links in an email.
This might sound straightforward enough, but you’ll actually need to sign up to a series of game and subscription downloads to qualify.
This will take time, potentially cost you money, and involve you handing over your personal details, with no guarantee of ever receiving the voucher.
Rewards Giant uses similar tactics to Flash Rewards, a cashback and rewards company we recently reported on. Flash Rewards published misleading adverts and posts which omitted the fact that its vouchers were only attainable via a series of paid subscriptions and downloads. We also found fake reviews and in some cases, ads that violated Facebook’s advertising policies.
Posts target Tesco, Asda and Iceland shoppers
Rewards Giant claims to offer vouchers and gift cards for a series of retailers and brands, including Asda, Coca Cola, Iceland, Tesco, Toby Carvery, Uber Eats, and the online game platform Roblox.
On a Facebook page peddling free Tesco vouchers, users are asked to share and comment on a post to receive a voucher worth £500.
When we looked, the post had 519 comments and had been shared 610 times. When you comment on and share the post, you are immediately contacted telling you that you’ve won, and are redirected to Rewards Giant’s website. Tesco confirmed that it was not affiliated with the page and reported it to Facebook.
On a different post advertising a £50 Asda voucher, readers are directed to the Rewards Giant website, which contains positive reviews from ‘users’ who’ve received a voucher. You should take these reviews with a pinch of salt. When we tracked down and contacted an individual who was used as an image for one of the reviews, they confirmed that they didn’t write the review.
Asda, Roblox, Toby Carvery, Iceland, UberEats and Coca Cola all confirmed to Which? that they are not affiliated with Rewards Giant. Which? attempted to contact Rewards Giant several times, but received no response.
'You never get your rewards'
Rewards Giant has an average rating of 2.2 out of 5 on the review website Trustpilot.
One reviewer wrote: ‘Absolutely a scam. One of the first things is a phone call to do a survey and verify your account. It wasn't a free number so I've been charged over £15. I completed all challenges just to be told I didn't complete enough tasks. Absolute waste of time. I just hope none of my details have been stolen’.
‘You never get your rewards even after completing tasks. They profit from your input and you don't get your rewards that were promised.’
Another reviewer who’d gone through the process said: ‘Would leave zero stars if I could, just a way of getting info and trying to sell you subscriptions to things. Just do not bother.’
How to spot a misleading voucher offer
During a time of financial strain, it’s understandable that you might be drawn in by the promise of free vouchers - but remember the old adage that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
If you see posts promising vouchers on Facebook or receive an unsolicited email, be suspicious. A quick online search of the company in question can set alarm bells ringing and give you an indication of whether the offer is actually genuine. If there’s any element of doubt, steer clear. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to only buy vouchers or enter competitions directly offered by the retailer itself.
You should also be wary about how much of your personal information you’re giving away by engaging with ‘rewards’ companies.
While this may not be the case with Rewards Giant, we have seen instances of social media users entering their personal details on dodgy websites, with their information then used to scam or spam them at a later date. Consider reading the website’s privacy policy to understand how your data will be used and how long it will be kept for.
You can flag suspicious Facebook posts using the 'report post' feature. Dodgy emails can be reported by forwarding the email to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious websites can be logged with the National Cyber Security Centre at www.ncsc.gov.uk.
