EXCLUSIVE
Woolworths supermarket has confirmed that it’s been forced to shut down a major payment system after Everyday Rewards members were targeted by scammers.
The retail giant has removed the Everyday Pay option from its Everyday Rewards app due to a “sophisticated external phishing scam” affecting selected customers.
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Everyday Pay is a feature within the Everyday Rewards app that allows members to save their debit and credit cards in the Everyday Pay wallet, pay via QR code at the checkout, and buy and store gift cards in the wallet.
Since April 25, a chorus of Woolies customers have taken to social media to voice their frustration about how Everyday Pay had been removed from the app with no communication.
Now a Woolworths spokesperson has confirmed that the supermarket took the drastic action after the account details of some Everyday Rewards members were compromised.
The retail giant has assured members that the payment details and data on their accounts remains secure, and there has been no breach or hack of the Everyday Rewards system as a whole.
“Unfortunately, we have identified a small number of Everyday Pay users who have been personally targeted by a sophisticated external phishing scam, which has led to them providing their details to scammers. We are supporting those who were affected,” the spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au.
“Out of caution we proactively turned off the Everyday Pay QR payment option in-store while we investigated.
“We want to reassure our members that our Everyday Pay systems and data remain secure and have not been compromised.
“While it was temporarily unavailable last week, the Everyday Pay wallet continues to be available for gift cards – which can be purchased, stored and used for in-store and online purchases.
“We are now taking this opportunity to review and simplify our in-store Everyday Pay checkout experience, and as a result, QR payments may remain unavailable while we work through this process.
“We apologise to our Everyday Pay users for this inconvenience.
“Scams are prevalent across Australia and we encourage all members to continue to be vigilant of unsolicited text messages or emails that they receive.”
What went wrong
- Last week, the Everyday Rewards team identified that some Everyday Pay users who have been targeted by a sophisticated external phishing scam, and as a result have given away their personal information to scammers.
- In the cases reported to Everyday Rewards, accounts have been accessed using valid login or account details. The initial website operated by the scammers has been taken down.
- Last week, gift cards stored in the Everyday Wallet were temporarily unavailable, however they can now again be accessed via the Everyday Pay wallet. Customers can redeem their gift card in the wallet by using the barcode that can be found by tapping on the gift card and then “show barcode”. If customers’ gift cards are still not visible in the app, they should reload or update the Everyday Rewards app to the latest version.
- Regular card transactions and Everyday Rewards loyalty card scans are not affected, and customers continue to be able to pay and scan their Everyday Rewards card at Woolworths and BIG W stores using Apple Wallet or Google Pay.
- This situation (unavailable QR payments) does not affect all Everyday Rewards Members, only a small portion of those that use the Everyday Pay QR code function in-store. The use of Everyday Pay is not affected for online shopping or for gift card access.
How to protect your Everyday Rewards account
Everyday Rewards members can take a number of steps to guard against online scammers:
- Members are encouraged to change their passwords regularly and to avoid using passwords they use on other sites.
- Customers can also use two-step authentication when using the Everyday Rewards app, which will further protect your account.
- For more top tips on keeping your Everyday Rewards account secure, head here.
- To find out more about different types of scams, how they work and what to look out for, visit Woolworths’ Scam Alert page.
Think you’ve been scammed?
People who have been targeted by phishing scams are encouraged to visit IDCARE for support and resources to help protect themselves. They are also encouraged to report their experience to the Australian Government’s Scam Watch.
If Everyday Pay users believe their accounts may have been accessed by unauthorised users, they can report it to the Everyday Pay team on 1300 10 1234 option 3.