Black Friday 2018 officially kicked off today with major retailers offering big discounts on top tech and popular gaming gadgets.
Black Friday originally started in the US but in the past few years has arguably become the biggest sales period for retailers in the UK.
In the lead-up to Black Friday 2018 major retailers such as Amazon, Argos, Currys and GAME have been offering money-saving bargains for shoppers.
And amid this rush from consumers for a great Black Friday 2018 deal scammers have tried to take advantage of this with a fake offer.
Concerned shoppers have reported the scam on Twitter with the too-good-to-be-true deal allegedly being spread on WhatsApp.
The scam shows an alleged £150 voucher for Morrisons as well as a hyperlink to what’s supposed to be a site for the retailer.
The message reads: “I just received a free £150 gift voucher from Morrisons. Get yours before the offer ends. Thank me later”.
However, eagle-eyed WhatsApp users will be able to spot that the hyperlink provided is not the same as the official Morrisons URL.
And instead of directing users to a legitimate page it takes them to a fake site based in South Africa.
The scam website attempts to steal personal details from victims which can then be exploited by cybercriminals.
The official Morrisons Twitter account has been contacted by a number of concerned consumers that received the scam.
Responding to one of them they said: “This is a scam and hasn’t come from Morrisons.
“Please don’t follow the link and if you’re concerned at all, you can contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040”.
WhatsApp in a post online offers advice on what users of the chat app should do when sent a hoax message.
The advice from WhatsApp states: “You may have received spam from an unauthorised third party and not WhatsApp.
“We work diligently to reduce any spam messages that come through our system.
“Creating a safe space for users to communicate with one another is a priority.
“However, just like regular SMS or phone calls, it is possible for other WhatsApp users who have your phone number to contact you.
“Thus, we want to help you identify and handle these messages.
“Unwanted messages from unauthorised third parties come in many forms, such as spam, hoax and phishing messages.
“All these types of messages are broadly defined as unsolicited messages from unauthorised third parties that try to deceive you and prompt you to act in a certain way.”
WhatsApp said these are the giveaway signs of hoax messages:
• The sender claims to be affiliated with WhatsApp.
• The message content includes instructions to forward the message.
• The message claims you can avoid punishment, like account suspension, if you forward the message.
• The message content includes a reward or gift from WhatsApp or another person.