Tesco
Tesco asks for police investigation into Clubcard accounts hacking

Retailer Tesco has asked for a police investigation into an online fraud in which dozens of its customers' Clubcard vouchers were allegedly stolen.

"We have launched a thorough investigation into a small number of incidents and referred the matter to the police. In the meantime, we'd like to ask any customers who believe they're affected to contact us directly so that we can make sure their accounts are up to date," Tesco said in a statement.

Clubcard is Tesco's customer loyalty scheme in which shoppers get points that can be converted into gift vouchers. Tesco has around 16 million Clubcard members.

Earlier, some Tesco customers complained that they have lost their hundreds of pounds worth of Clubcard vouchers accumulated over a number of years from their online accounts, indicating a hacking into the company's system. Some others reported that they were unable to log on to their Clubcard accounts, while some have their account name changed.

Tesco had already informed the affected customers that the lost vouchers were spent miles away from their homes, according to consumer website MoneySavingExpert.

"MoneySavers love Tesco points, and often save up masses to pay for all sorts, from holidays to wedding rings, at a third or quarter of the normal price," said Dan Plant, web editor for MoneySavingExpert.

"That makes these reports a huge worry for anyone planning ahead that way."

Nevertheless, the number of customers affected by the online fraud is seemingly very less as the retailer received less than 100 complaints. Tesco has reportedly reimbursed a handful of customers.

Last week, Tesco had sent a generic email to its customers in order to help them identify whether the communications titled under the company's name are genuine or not.