Martin Lewis issues urgent warning over new Wilko scam | UK News

Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert has issued a dire warning about a new Wilko scam which could leave people thousands of pounds out of pocket.

Scammers have taken advantage of the chain store going into administration as Wilko begins to offer enticing sales.

PwC confirmed Wilko is no longer selling items online so people have been advised to watch out for online scams.

If a URL is anything other than Wilko.com, then it is fake.

Experts at the Martin Lewis-founded MoneySavingExpert website have issued the warning in the hope to prevent more Brits losing their hard-earned cash.

Gareth Shaw, deputy editor at MoneySavingExpert.com, reminded shoppers if something is too good to be true – it normally is.

‘A couple of giveaways can be unusual-looking URLs and unsecured payment pages,’ he said.

‘For web addresses, it’s what’s before the .com or .co.uk that counts – always look where you’re clicking, as it’s so easy not to notice extra characters in a web address.’

The expert added: ‘Although a secure site doesn’t guarantee it isn’t a scam, any data you enter when paying for a purchase is encrypted so it’s harder for others to intercept.

‘It’s really easy to tell as the web address will start with ‘https’, rather than just ‘http’. Look for a security padlock on your browser (usually next to the web address).’

Wilko announced earlier this month that up to 12,500 jobs are at risk.

The chain runs more than 400 stores across the UK and told staff it had hired administrators from PwC to oversee the process.

Wilko will continue to trade from all its stores ‘without any immediate redundancies’, the administrators have said.

Mark Jackson, chief executive officer of Wilko, said it had ‘a significant level of interest’ and rescue offers but was ‘left with no choice but to take this unfortunate action’ after being unable to close a deal within time.

So far, Poundland and B&M have been in talks to buy the store after the chain shop confirmed shops will not close soon.

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