The promise of free reward money or gift cards from major retailers like Tesco seems highly appealing. But supposed free gift card offers promoted via social media ads and spam emails usually turn out to be thinly-veiled ruses for stealing personal information and cash.
One current scam making the rounds dangles a £700 Tesco gift card as bait for victims. Using Tesco branding without permission, the Tesclaim.com website tricks victims by claiming all you have to do is click a link and answer some questions to receive the massive gift card credit. However, it’s just a facade for funneling victims into shady websites and services carrying hidden fees.
Overview of the Tesclaim Tesco Gift Card Scam
The Tesclaim.com website displays the Tesco logo prominently and poses a series of questions implying that answering them will qualify you for a £700 Tesco gift card:
“How often do you shop at Tesco? How helpful would a £700 Tesco gift card be for you right now? What types of products would you like to review at Tesco?”
After answering, victims are congratulated for qualifying and told to click on “Claim Now” and complete 3-5 “sponsored deals” to receive the supposed gift card.
However, Tesco is not actually giving away £700 gift cards for answering basic questions on this site. And completing “sponsored deals” does not generate a code for a free gift card either. The promises are completely bogus.
In reality, clicking the link sends victims through an affiliate funnel aimed at collecting personal data and signing people up for subscription services or dubious offers that result in credit card charges.
This scam takes advantage of the Tesco brand recognition to trick UK shoppers who would love to receive a massive pre-paid card credit. But the website has no actual association with the real Tesco rewards programs.
Step-by-Step Explanation of the Scam Process
Here is a walkthrough of what happens when you click on the link on Tesclaim.com:
1. Scam Ads and Emails Lead to Tesclaim.com
The scam starts with social media ads, pop-ups, text messages, or spam emails directing victims to the Tesclaim.com website.
Subject lines like “Claim Your £700 Tesco Gift Card Here” or “Receive a £700 Tesco Gift Card Now” entice people to click on the links. The messages illegally use the Tesco logo to appear valid.
2. Site Poses Questions Implying Card Can Be Claimed
The Tesclaim site displays the Tesco logo prominently and asks a series of questions including:
“How often do you shop at Tesco? How helpful would a £700 Tesco gift card be for you right now? What types of products would you like to review at Tesco?”
Answering the questions gives the impression that completing this basic survey qualifies you to claim a £700 gift card. But there are no details provided on how card codes are generated or delivered.
3. Clicking “Claim Now” Leads Down an Affiliate Funnel
When victims click the “Claim Now” button believing they will receive a £700 Tesco gift card, they are instead redirected to an affiliate funnel.
This means victims are forced to hand over personal information, agree to subscribe to services, or download apps and software they likely do not want. The purpose is to collect data and expose victims to offers carrying commissions.
4. “Deals” Include Downloads, Junk Trials, and Subscription Traps
To receive the promised gift card, victims must complete 3-5 “sponsored deals”. These offers prey on victims’ desires to claim the £700 reward:
Downloading shady apps or browser extensions
Signing up for “risk-free” trial offers that convert into paid subscriptions
Submitting a ton of personal information like full name, birthdate, addresses, phone numbers, etc.
Completing pages of time-wasting surveys and questionnaires
Many downloads are affiliated malware or spyware. Trials turn into charges victims must proactively cancel. And personal info is sold to other shady parties.
5. No Gift Card is Received – Just Recurring Charges
After completing the required “deals”, victims find out there is no actual £700 Tesco gift card. The promise was a total scam designed to expose people to junk offers.
Instead, victims are left with:
Monthly credit card charges for any paid trials they signed up for but didn’t cancel in time
Malware on devices from downloaded apps and software
Spam emails flooding inboxes with more scammy offers
Personal info sold and used to target victims for other scams
Meanwhile, the scammers behind the affiliate funnel profit from commissions earned on each completed offer or download.
What to Do If You Fell for the Tesco Gift Card Scam
If you already clicked on the link from Tesclaim.com and went through the funnel, here are important steps to take right away:
Carefully check credit cards and bank accounts and dispute any unauthorized charges. Watch out for recurring monthly fees.
Scan devices for malware and uninstall anything downloaded from the affiliate flow to avoid compromise.
Change passwords on any accounts you may have entered information for to protect credentials. Enable two-factor authentication if possible.
Contact the major credit bureaus to implement protective fraud alerts in case your information gets misused.
Report the scam to the UK Fraud and Cybercrime Reporting Centre, Tesco security team, and any other entities that can help shut the scam down. The more reports filed, the better.
Forward any scam emails to spam@uce.gov and your email provider to help block further spread. Delete all messages related to the bogus offer.
Staying vigilant following exposure to gift card scams limits damages and helps authorities stop ongoing schemes. Don’t let desire for free rewards allow scammers to take advantage.
Is Your Device Infected? Scan for Malware
If your computer or phone is slow, showing unwanted pop-ups, or acting strangely, malware could be the cause. Running a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is one of the most reliable ways to detect and remove harmful software. The free version can identify and clean common infections such as adware, browser hijackers, trojans, and other unwanted programs.
Malwarebytes works on Windows, Mac, and Android devices. Choose your operating system below and follow the steps to scan your device and remove any malware that might be slowing it down.
Malwarebytes for WindowsMalwarebytes for MacMalwarebytes for Android
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Windows
Malwarebytes stands out as one of the leading and widely-used anti-malware solutions for Windows, and for good reason. It effectively eradicates various types of malware that other programs often overlook, all at no cost to you. When it comes to disinfecting an infected device, Malwarebytes has consistently been a free and indispensable tool in the battle against malware. We highly recommend it for maintaining a clean and secure system.
Download Malwarebytes
Download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows using the official link below. Malwarebytes will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software for free.
(The above link will open a new page from where you can download Malwarebytes)
Install Malwarebytes
After the download is complete, locate the MBSetup file, typically found in your Downloads folder. Double-click on the MBSetup file to begin the installation of Malwarebytes on your computer. If a User Account Control pop-up appears, click “Yes” to continue the Malwarebytes installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, the setup wizard will guide you through the process.
You’ll first be prompted to choose the type of computer you’re installing the program on—select either “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” as appropriate, then click on Next.
Malwarebytes will now begin the installation process on your device.
When the Malwarebytes installation is complete, the program will automatically open to the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen.
On the final screen, simply click on the Open Malwarebytes option to start the program.
Enable “Rootkit scanning”.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start, and you will see the main screen as shown below. To maximize Malwarebytes’ ability to detect malware and unwanted programs, we need to enable rootkit scanning. Click on the “Settings” gear icon located on the left of the screen to access the general settings section.
In the settings menu, enable the “Scan for rootkits” option by clicking the toggle switch until it turns blue.
Now that you have enabled rootkit scanning, click on the “Dashboard” button in the left pane to get back to the main screen.
Perform a Scan with Malwarebytes.
To start a scan, click the Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its antivirus database and begin scanning your computer for malicious programs.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now scan your computer for browser hijackers and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Quarantine detected malware
Once the Malwarebytes scan is complete, it will display a list of detected malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. To effectively remove these threats, click the “Quarantine” button.
Malwarebytes will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the program’s quarantine.
Restart your computer.
When removing files, Malwarebytes may require a reboot to fully eliminate some threats. If you see a message indicating that a reboot is needed, please allow it. Once your computer has restarted and you are logged back in, you can continue with the remaining steps.
Once the scan completes, remove all detected threats. Your Windows computer should now be clean and running smoothly again, free of trojans, adware, and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed this malicious program on your computer, you may want to consider purchasing Malwarebytes Premium to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Malwarebytes for Mac is an on-demand scanner that can destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss without costing you absolutely anything. When it comes to cleaning up an infected device, Malwarebytes has always been free, and we recommend it as an essential tool in the fight against malware.
Download Malwarebytes for Mac.
You can download Malwarebytes for Mac by clicking the link below.
When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install Malwarebytes on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install Malwarebytes.
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes for Mac Installer which will guide you through the installation process. Click “Continue“, then keep following the prompts to continue with the installation process.
When your Malwarebytes installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click the “Get started” button.
Select “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer”.
The Malwarebytes Welcome screen will first ask you what type of computer are you installing this program, click either Personal Computer or Work Computer.
Click on “Scan”.
To scan your computer with Malwarebytes, click on the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes for Mac will automatically update the antivirus database and start scanning your computer for malware.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will scan your computer for adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Click on “Quarantine”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malware that Malwarebytes has found, click on the “Quarantine” button.
Restart computer.
Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your computer.
After scanning, delete any detected threats. Your Mac should now be free from adware, unwanted extensions, and other potentially harmful software.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious program on your computer, you might want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove a malicious program from your computer, please ask for help in our Mac Malware Removal Help & Support forum.
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Android
Malwarebytes for Android automatically detects and removes dangerous threats like malware and ransomware so you don’t have to worry about your most-used device being compromised. Aggressive detection of adware and potentially unwanted programs keeps your Android phone or tablet running smooth.
Download Malwarebytes for Android.
You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.
In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes for Android on your device.
When the installation process has finished, tap “Open” to begin using Malwarebytes for Android. You can also open Malwarebytes by tapping on its icon in your phone menu or home screen.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process
When Malwarebytes will open, you will see the Malwarebytes Setup Wizard which will guide you through a series of permissions and other setup options. This is the first of two screens that explain the difference between the Premium and Free versions. Swipe this screen to continue. Tap on “Got it” to proceed to the next step. Malwarebytes for Android will now ask for a set of permissions that are required to scan your device and protect it from malware. Tap on “Give permission” to continue. Tap on “Allow” to permit Malwarebytes to access the files on your phone.
Update database and run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android
You will now be prompted to update the Malwarebytes database and run a full system scan.
Click on “Update database” to update the Malwarebytes for Android definitions to the latest version, then click on “Run full scan” to perform a system scan.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now start scanning your phone for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Click on “Remove Selected”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes for Android has detected. To remove the malicious apps that Malwarebytes has found, tap on the “Remove Selected” button.
Restart your phone.
Malwarebytes for Android will now remove all the malicious apps that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your device.
When the scan is finished, remove all detected threats. Your Android phone should now be free of malicious apps, adware, and unwanted browser redirects.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious app on your phone, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your phone after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Restore your phone to factory settings by going to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
After cleaning your device, it’s important to protect it from future infections and annoying pop-ups. We recommend installing an ad blocker such as AdGuard. AdGuard blocks malicious ads, prevents phishing attempts, and stops dangerous redirects, helping you stay safe while browsing online.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Tesclaim.com Scam
1. What is the £700 Tesco gift card scam?
This is a scam where ads and emails direct victims to Tesclaim.com by promising a free £700 Tesco gift card. The site displays the Tesco logo and has users answer questions to “qualify.” But it’s completely fake and not associated with Tesco.
2. How does the Tesco gift card scam work?
Victims are lured by ads or emails promising an easy £700 gift card. Clicking takes them to Tesclaim.com to answer questions and click “Claim Now.” But that redirects to an affiliate funnel, not a gift card. Victims have to complete “deals” and enter personal info, allowing scammers to profit from commissions and stolen data. No gift card is ever provided.
3. Are the “deals” on Tesclaim.com legitimate?
No. The deals are for suspicious downloads, junk trials, and sketchy subscriptions unrelated to Tesco. They often convert to recurring monthly charges. The apps and downloads may contain malware. None of the deals should be trusted.
4. What happens after completing the deals?
Victims receive no £700 Tesco gift card after finishing the deals. The promise was completely fake. Instead, victims find monthly charges from trials, spam emails, and potential malware or breached information if personal data was entered.
5. What are signs this is a scam?
Red flags include the too-good-to-be-true gift card amount, strange requirement to complete deals, use of Tesco’s branding without permission, and requests for personal information. Tesco would never give away gift cards via random ads or emails.
6. What should I do if I entered information or downloaded apps?
Monitor accounts closely for any fraudulent charges from trials. Cancel any pending trials immediately to avoid monthly billing. Scan devices and delete anything downloaded from the site to remove malware. Change passwords on any accounts you entered info for. Contact credit bureaus to implement fraud alerts.
7. How can I avoid gift card scams?
Ignore ads or emails offering easy free rewards. They are likely scams. Do not click links from senders you don’t know. Delete suspicious messages. Verify promotions directly via a company’s official website before providing any personal information. Never pay any money or fees to claim a legitimate prize or gift card.
8. Where can I report this scam?
Report this scam to the UK’s Action Fraud, Tesco, ad networks, and email providers. The more reports filed, the more likely this scam campaign can be shut down.
The Bottom Line on the Tesclaim.com Scam
The bottom line is – Tesclaim.com has absolutely no connection to Tesco. There are no £700 gift cards being given away. The website’s questions and prominent use of branding are intended to trick victims into thinking it’s legitimate.
In reality, it’s just a facade funneling victims into various subscription traps, information harvesting, and malware downloads. You will not receive a real gift card by clicking on this scam website and jumping through hoops.
To avoid this “£700 Tesco Gift Card” scam, remember:
Tesco does not give away huge gift cards in exchange for answering basic questions or submitting personal information. That would make no business sense.
If an offer seems suspiciously easy, like free rewards for minimal effort, it’s almost certainly a scam. Delete suspicious messages.
Never provide sensitive personal info to unfamiliar sites found via spam emails or ads.
Downloading software should only be done from official sources and well-reviewed publishers you trust.
Stay vigilant against gift card scams by treating supposed free reward offers with skepticism. Also be wary of sites pressuring you to download software or hand over personal data to earn prizes. With sound judgment, you can avoid traps like the bogus £700 Tesco gift card scam.
Thomas is an expert at uncovering scams and providing in-depth reporting on cyber threats and online fraud. As an editor, he is dedicated to keeping readers informed on the latest developments in cybersecurity and tech.
