Cybercriminals are using fake Shein gift cards to lure victims into handing over their bank details online.
A new scam has taken Instagram by storm this month, with people across the world targeted in the money-grabbing trick.
Virus detector, Avast, claims the con generally kicks off with a simple comment, congratulating users for winning a fashion retailer gift card.
To claim this, victims are encouraged to click the link in a scammer’s page where they may be put under time pressure to answer a short survey.
In one example, users had just two minutes to answer questions like ‘do you agree with the prices of products in SHEIN?’ and ‘How do you plan to use the SHEIN gift card?’.
Criminals are now using fake Shein gift cards to lure victims into handing over bank details
Virus detector, Avast, claims the con often kicks off with a simple congratulatory comment
Regardless of your answers, it is understood that victims will always make it to the next stage, where they are presented with a screen filled with wrapped presents.
The site will then give users three chances to click on a prize-winning box.
Avast claims the first one will always be empty, making the whole plot even more realistic.
It is understood that the Shein reward will always be given after the second box-click, with the scam site claiming that prizes range from £25 to £2,000.
But the scammers often claim they will need an address and postage payment to send out this gift card within a few days.
This is the point at which users are encouraged to hand over their personal details including a name, phone number, email and bank details.
As a result, Avast claims that victims unknowingly sign up to a subscription fee rather than a single postage payment.
In many countries, the charged amount is not disclosed, but for France it is €2 followed by €33 each fortnight – equivalent to £1.80 and £29.
Amid the scam, social media has been flooded with comments, as some users claim they are being bombarded with gift card offers everyday.
One person tweeted: ‘I’ve won about 14,000 Shein gift cards on Instagram this morning and the spam accounts tag you in every single one of them.’
Another joked: ‘Why won’t my landlord let me pay my rent in SHEIN gift cards I’ve won on Instagram,’ while one person also said: ‘The amount of SHEIN gift cards I’ve won on Instagram is unbelievable.’
Users may be put under time pressure to answer a short survey before the ‘gift card’ is finally handed over. Then, the site will then give users three chances to click on a prize-winning box. Avast claims the first one will always be empty, making the whole plot more realistic
The gift card scam is not the first to have targeted Shein-buyers, with other schemes also hooking victims with gift giveaways.
Last year, Shein said: ‘We are aware of a scam claiming to provide a credit card number for free SHEIN items. This is fake and in NO WAY endorsed by our company. Please be cautious when engaging online!’
A few months later, they tweeted again: ‘We have been made aware of recent email scams falsely claiming to come from our company, and can verify this is not an official SHEIN communication. Please feel free to confirm with us through our customer service channels at any time regarding official emails from SHEIN offer…’
MailOnline has approached Shein for comment.
To protect yourself against scams, Instagram recommends that users should watch out for some key signs.
It is understood that the Shein reward will always be given after the second box-click, with the scam site claiming that prizes range from £25 to £2,000. Once payment details are entered, victims unknowingly sign up to a subscription rather than a single postage payment
Red flags often include someone asking for money, offering to send money, gift cards or anything else.
Unverified accounts that appear to represent large brands or public figures are also deemed untrustworthy, in addition to anyone asking for a fee to apply for a job.
Any fraudulent requests may be written with poor spelling and grammar too, potentially from an account that is new to the platform.
Instagram said: ‘If you see something that you think is a scam, you should avoid responding and report the scam to Instagram.
‘Bear in mind that your report is anonymous, except if you’re reporting an intellectual property infringement. The account you reported won’t see who reported them.’
Avast also added: ‘When getting information from an Instagram account (or other social networks), look for signs that the account is original and authentic.
‘There are plenty of copycats and fraudulent accounts out there, but when looking closely, you’ll almost always be able to spot signs pointing to the fact that they’re ingenuine.’
MailOnline has approached Instagram for comment.
