Johannesburg – Scores of unwary South African Facebook users have been sharing a viral scam offering a R1 500 coupon from Pick n Pay, but the retailer has confirmed to Fin24 that it is a hoax.

The scam on Facebook directs users to a website that requires answers to a three step survey before the post is shared to their own timeline.

Pick n Pay told Fin24 it had issued a scam alert urging customers not to complete the survey.

“We’ve been receiving a lot of comments and queries regarding a R1500 coupon competition doing the rounds. To clarify: THIS IS A SCAM. We are not involved with, or promoting, this “competition” at all,” the company said.

Pick n Pay said customers should not to click on the link or enter personal details.

After sharing the coupon on their own timeline, the scam urges customers to redeem the R 1500 voucher by displaying it along with a receipt in-store.

Similarly, a coupon for a Woolworths voucher for the same amount, which follows the same scam mechanism is also doing the rounds on Facebook. It has not gone viral like the Pick n Pay scam.

The hoax is believed to be a phishing scam, used to extract users online data.