Asda Cautions Shoppers Against 'Free' £250 Voucher

• Asda has issued a warning about a fraudulent voucher scam targeting social media users.
• The scam promises a £250 voucher for school children, with a fake deadline to apply.
• The scam involves bots and fake posts on social media, including Facebook.
• Asda confirms there are no such vouchers and advises against clicking on suspicious links.

Asda has alerted its customers to a widespread scam involving a supposed £250 voucher, which is currently circulating on social media platforms. This scheme, which falsely claims to offer vouchers to schoolchildren, has set a bogus deadline for application, tempting many to click on dangerous links.

Tom Hussey at The Sun reported that these scam messages, which are believed to be spread by bots, have been targeting various Facebook community groups, including local area groups, buying & selling pages, and even rental advice communities. The messages often appear legitimate and have deceived numerous individuals, with the scam gaining traction over the weekend.

A spokesperson from Asda clarified, "It has been brought to our attention that there are a number of scam posts on social media advertising Asda vouchers. These posts are not associated with us and have been reported to Facebook. We are working diligently to have them removed and we urge everyone to exercise caution with online offers not directly linked to our official accounts or website."

The scam has not only misled the public but also attracted the attention of Meta, the parent company of Facebook. A representative from Meta stated, "We are committed to preventing fraud on our platforms, which is why we have systems in place to detect and enforce against scams, along with running consumer awareness campaigns on spotting fraudulent behavior."

Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, commented, "It's essential for shoppers to stay vigilant and confirm the legitimacy of any seemingly generous offer, especially when it involves popular brands like Asda."