Is this order or prize text from Kmart a scam?
No. Kmart Australia is a genuine national retailer with physical stores across the country. Its name is simply popular with scammers, who push fake gift-card giveaways through Facebook and Messenger, dangle bogus voucher balances, and set up lookalike 'support' pages to capture your details. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real Kmart message from a fake.
Genuine Kmart links lead to kmart.com.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is exactly what a real Kmart message looks like, the scams currently circulating in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and a real example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
What a real Kmart message looks like
Genuine messages from Kmart link to kmart.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Kmart never sends SMS or direct messages about giveaways, competitions or prize wins
- All current promotions, sales and catalogue offers appear only on kmart.com.au and the Kmart app
- Kmart Australia does not use any registered SMS sender IDs for marketing or account alerts
- Official communications always link back to pages on kmart.com.au, never third-party domains
What Kmart will never do
- Send an SMS or direct message about a giveaway, competition or prize win
- Announce a promotion anywhere other than kmart.com.au and the Kmart app
- Link you to a third-party domain to log in, verify your account or release a voucher
- Ask for personal details or a payment to hand over a gift card; no legitimate retailer charges you to receive a prize
- Contact you through Facebook Messenger about your account or an order
Common Kmart scams
- Facebook posts and Messenger messages claiming you have won a Kmart gift card and directing you to a fake entry form
- Scam ads showing a large Kmart voucher balance and asking for personal details or payment to release it
- Messages pretending to be from Kmart Australia support that request a login or verification step on a lookalike site
Red flags to watch for
- Any SMS or social-media message about a Kmart prize or gift card that contains a link
- Requests to click a shortened or misspelled domain instead of kmart.com.au
- Urgent language such as "claim now" or "offer expires today" tied to Kmart
- Messages arriving via Facebook or Instagram rather than through the Kmart app or website
Kmart scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating Kmart typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
Shared Facebook post: 'Kmart Australia is celebrating a milestone by giving every sharer a mystery gift card! Like, share and complete the entry form here: kmart-anniversary-gifts[.]example. Winners drawn tonight!'
What gives it away:
- Kmart never runs giveaways or announces prize wins through Facebook posts or Messenger; promotions live only on kmart.com.au and the Kmart app
- The entry form sits on a domain that is not kmart.com.au and exists to harvest your personal details
- Like-and-share mechanics plus a same-night draw are engagement bait designed to spread the scam before it is taken down
An ad opens a page showing 'Your Kmart voucher balance: $750' with a progress bar and a form asking for your name, address, date of birth and a small card payment to 'activate and post' the voucher.
What gives it away:
- You cannot have a balance with a retailer from a draw you never entered; the big number is bait
- No legitimate retailer asks for a card payment to release a prize; the 'activation fee' form is a card-details harvester
- The page is not on kmart.com.au, and the date-of-birth request signals identity harvesting on top of card theft
Kmart Support: unusual activity detected on your Kmart account. Verify your identity within 4 hours at kmart-account-verify[.]example to avoid suspension.
What gives it away:
- Kmart Australia does not use SMS sender IDs for account alerts, so an account-alert text is out of character before you even read it
- The verification link points to a lookalike domain instead of kmart.com.au
- A four-hour suspension deadline is manufactured pressure; genuine account issues do not arrive as countdowns in texts
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious Kmart text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from Kmart
Kmart's real website is kmart.com.au and the official app is the Kmart app. Reach Kmart through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Do not tap the link, fill in the form or reply to the message or post
- Type kmart.com.au into your browser yourself and check the promotions page; every genuine offer is listed there or in the Kmart app
- If the message mentions your account, log in directly through kmart.com.au or the Kmart app and check for notices there
- Search Scamwatch for current gift-card giveaway scams if the offer still seems plausible
If you have been scammed in Kmart's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you entered card details, call your bank immediately, block the card and dispute any charges
- If you entered a password, change it on the real kmart.com.au and on every other account where you reused it
- If you handed over identity details such as your date of birth or licence, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the fake post or page to Facebook or Instagram so it can be removed
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward any scam SMS to 7226 so carriers can block the sender
Where to report a scam impersonating Kmart
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating Kmart? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Latest Kmart scams in 2026
Kmart impersonation is overwhelmingly a social media story: viral like-and-share posts promising gift cards, Messenger messages announcing wins, and ads that display an impressive voucher balance before asking for personal details or a small 'release' payment. Fake support messages with lookalike verification pages appear in smaller numbers. The campaigns recycle whatever is topical, anniversaries, new store openings, seasonal sales, but the mechanics never change: a prize you never entered for, a link off kmart.com.au, and a deadline. The reliable defence is knowing Kmart's own rule: promotions appear only on kmart.com.au and the Kmart app, so check there and nowhere else.
Frequently asked questions
I got a Facebook message saying I've won a Kmart gift card — is it a scam?
Yes. Kmart Australia never runs giveaways through Facebook Messenger or SMS; all legitimate promotions are listed on kmart.com.au.
How do I know if a Kmart text or message is real?
Kmart does not send SMS or direct messages about prizes or accounts. Any such message is fake; go straight to kmart.com.au yourself to check for offers.
What should I do if I clicked a link in a fake Kmart message?
Close the page, do not enter any details, scan your device, and report the message to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.
What is Kmart's real website?
Kmart Australia's only official website is kmart.com.au, and the Kmart app is its only official app. Any page on another domain claiming to be Kmart, however polished, is fake. Type kmart.com.au yourself instead of following links in posts or messages.
How do I report a Kmart scam?
Report it to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) so the National Anti-Scam Centre can track the campaign, and report scam posts or pages to the social platform they appeared on. Forward scam texts to 7226 (spells SCAM), and if you lost money, call your bank first and then report to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au).
Related scam types
Scams impersonating Kmart usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other retail names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Social media scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Report a scam (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- IDCARE: Australia's identity support service (IDCARE)
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with Kmart through an official channel.