Gmail and Yahoo alert confirmed for UK Starbucks customers - ignoring it will cost you

If you always get your daily fix of caffeine via Starbucks then you need to be on high alert. It appears that the famous coffee chain is being used by cyber crooks to trick customers and being fooled by it could leave you seriously out of pocket.

The new alert has been issued by Action Fraud which says it has been contacted by almost 1,000 people saying they have been targeted by fake emails sent via popular platforms such as Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.

"We've received over 900 reports about FAKE emails offering free Starbucks Coffee gift sets," Action Fraud confirmed.

"The emails are designed to steal your personal and financial information in order to claim the prize."

Along with issuing the alert, Action Fraud has also posted a picture showing exactly what to watch out for.

The email, which appears to come from Starbucks and even features the famous logo, says "Congratulations" and suggests the recipient has won a "Coffee Lovers Box."

It even goes on to say that only a "lucky few" have been picked for the "unique opportunity".

Of course, these are all simple tactics to try and get you to click the "Get it now" link and be scammed.

Action Fraud says anyone who receives a suspicious email, should report it by forwarding the email to: report@phishing.gov.uk.

It's worth noting that there are no free gifts from Starbucks and the firm would never email customers out of the blue. Remember...If you get something that looks too good to be true it usually is.

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This latest scam alert comes as and make some simple changes.

Email and social media accounts are now a prime target for hackers and it’s vital that we all have separate passwords for different accounts.

"Action Fraud is launching an awareness campaign on social media and email account hacking for Cyber Security Awareness Month this year, encouraging the public to protect their online accounts from fraudsters," the National Fraud & Cyber Crime service said.

The alert has been raised after thousands reported their services had been hacked. Not only that, it’s thought many have since been duped by cyber crooks with over £1.3 million lost to online fraud over the past 12 months.