Recent headlines have shed light on a concerning trend: supermarket gift card scams. In one alarming case, a woman lost over £115,000 after falling victim to this type of fraud from an online contact. Such scams typically involve fraudsters posing as authority figures or well-known friends, coercing victims into purchasing large quantities of gift cards and providing the codes over the phone. These scams prey on individuals' trust and exploit their willingness to help. Victims are often led to believe they are assisting with criminal investigations or settling debts, only to discover they've been part of a crime.
Retailers must take proactive measures to safeguard their customers and employees from falling into these schemes by monitoring the number of gift card sales to each customer. Serve Legal’s range of retail compliance audits allow this process to be robustly and independently tested by identifying vulnerabilities in retail operations, including areas susceptible to fraudulent activity.
Serve Legal's audits provide valuable insights into employee training and awareness levels, empowering businesses to enhance staff education on recognising and responding to potential scams.
(Source: ITVX, February 2024.)