Countdown and NetSafe New Zealand are advising customers to be vigilant following reports of an increase in people receiving scam emails. The emails vary in content, telling customers they have won Countdown vouchers ranging from $50 to $2,500, asking people to take part in surveys to win a voucher or confirming delivery of orders they haven’t placed.
Countdown and other large companies are often used as fronts for scammers due to their large customer bases and often run competitions or surveys, so the links appear legitimate. The emails frequently use Countdown imagery and ask the recipient to provide personal information.
“Unfortunately there are scammers targeting New Zealanders via email using the Countdown name and branding and we want to warn consumers,” said James Walker, Countdown’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs. “If you have received an email that doesn't look like what you'd usually receive from Countdown, comes from an unfamiliar email address or seems too good to be true, then this is likely a scam.”
How to tell if a Countdown competition is legitimate:
- All Countdown Facebook competitions are on the Countdown Facebook page and all Onecard Competitions are on www.countdown.co.nz so consumers can always check if they are legitimate. Countdown’s official Facebook page has the blue verified tick near the profile logo.
- Countdown does run legitimate customer surveys. These are either run on Countdown’s behalf by inmoment.com and promoted via a countdownlistens.co.nz website link printed on the till receipt shoppers get in store, or customers would have had to agree to join our survey panel at some point.
If consumers have any doubts, they are advised to contact Countdown on 0800 40 40 40 or email customerinfo@countdown.co.nz.
