Is this order or prize text from Target a scam?
No. Target Australia is a real department store chain that has traded here for decades. The fraud happens in its name on social media, where fake giveaway posts, Instagram DMs about free prizes and counterfeit competition pages collect personal and bank details from people who believe they have won. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real Target message from a fake.
Genuine Target links lead to target.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 Target 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 Target message looks like
Genuine messages from Target link to target.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Genuine Target Australia messages only arrive through the Target app or logged-in account notifications on target.com.au.
- Target never initiates contact about competitions, refunds or delivery issues via SMS or direct messages on Facebook or Instagram.
- Any email from Target will come from an address ending exactly in @target.com.au and will reference your existing order or account.
- Target will never ask you to click a link in a social-media comment or DM to claim a prize or update payment details.
What Target will never do
- Initiate contact about competitions, refunds or delivery issues via SMS or direct messages on Facebook or Instagram
- Ask you to click a link in a social-media comment or DM to claim a prize or update payment details
- Run 'selected 1 in 20 winners' style random draws through social DMs
- Email you from any address that does not end exactly in @target.com.au
- Ask for bank details to 'send your prize'; no legitimate retailer needs your banking information to hand over a gift card
Common Target scams
- Facebook posts claiming you have won a $500 Target gift card, directing you to message a page or click an external link.
- Instagram DMs pretending to be from Target Australia offering a free giveaway for liking and sharing a post.
- Fake 'Target Australia' competition pages asking for your name, address and bank details to 'send your prize'.
Red flags to watch for
- The message or post arrives via Facebook or Instagram DM rather than the Target app or target.com.au account inbox.
- It promises you have been 'selected as 1 in 20 winners' or similar random prize draw you never entered.
- The link uses a domain that is not target.com.au, such as target-giftwin[.]example or targetau-prize[.]example.
- You are asked to provide personal or bank details to 'claim' or 'verify' the prize.
Target scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating Target typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
Instagram DM from 'Target Australia Giveaways': 'Great news! You liked our anniversary post and have been selected as 1 of 20 winners of a $500 gift card. Confirm your details within 2 hours here: target-winners[.]example or your spot goes to the next entrant.'
What gives it away:
- Target never notifies winners by Instagram or Facebook DM, and it does not run 'selected 1 in 20 winners' draws that way
- The confirmation link is not target.com.au; the form behind it collects personal and bank details
- A two-hour claim window with a threat of losing your spot is pressure engineering, not how any real promotion works
A Facebook ad leads to a page titled 'Target Australia Winter Mega Competition' with the store's branding, asking for your full name, home address and bank account details so the team can 'transfer your prize' if you win.
What gives it away:
- No legitimate retailer asks for bank details to send a prize; that request alone marks the page as a scam
- The page is not hosted on target.com.au, and genuine competitions run through the Target app or the official site
- Combining name, address and banking data is an identity-theft harvest, worth more to the scammer than any 'prize'
TargetAU: pending refund of $86.20 could not be processed. Update your payment details at target-refunds[.]example today to receive it.
What gives it away:
- Target never initiates contact about refunds via SMS; refund notices for real orders appear in your logged-in account
- The link domain is not target.com.au, and 'update payment details' means 'type your card into our harvesting form'
- A refund for a purchase you cannot place is the tell; scammers count on someone in the household having shopped recently
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious Target text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from Target
Target's real website is target.com.au and the official app is the Target Australia app. Reach Target through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Do not reply to the DM, click the link or enter any details
- Type target.com.au into your browser yourself and check the competitions or promotions section; genuine draws are run there or in the Target app
- Log in to your account at target.com.au or via the official Target Australia app to check any order, refund or notification directly
- Check that any Target social account messaging you is the verified one, then remember that even verified-looking pages are cloned; the site is the source of truth
If you have been scammed in Target's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you gave bank or card details, call your bank immediately to block the card, secure the account and dispute any transactions
- If you entered a password, change it at the real target.com.au and everywhere else you reused it
- If you supplied your name, address, date of birth or other identity details, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the fake page or DM to Facebook or Instagram so it is taken down
- 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 Target
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating Target? 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 Target scams in 2026
Current Target Australia impersonation lives almost entirely on social platforms. Cloned pages post gift-card giveaways timed to school holidays and seasonal sales, DMs tell people they were 'selected' from a post they liked, and counterfeit competition sites ask for bank details to 'transfer the prize'. Refund texts appear in smaller waves. Two things never change: the prize arrives from a draw you never entered, and the claim always happens off target.com.au. The defence is equally constant. Treat every social prize notification as fake by default, and confirm promotions only inside the Target app or by typing target.com.au yourself.
Frequently asked questions
I got a Facebook message saying I've won a Target giveaway — is it a scam?
Yes. Target Australia does not notify winners through Facebook DMs or run random '1 in 20 winners' competitions that way. Delete the message and do not click any links.
How do I know if a Target Australia competition post is real?
Only competitions run through the Target app or on target.com.au are genuine. Any post directing you to message a page or visit a non-target.com.au link is a scam.
What should I do if I clicked a link in a fake Target message?
Visit scamwatch.gov.au for steps to secure your accounts and report the incident. If you entered personal details, contact IDCARE on 1300 432 273.
What is Target Australia's real website?
Target Australia's only official website is target.com.au, and the Target Australia app is its official app. Prize or competition pages on any other domain are fakes, no matter how closely they copy the branding. Always type target.com.au yourself rather than following links from posts or DMs.
How do I report a Target Australia scam?
Report it to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) so the National Anti-Scam Centre can track the campaign, and report the fake page or account to Facebook or Instagram. Forward scam texts to 7226 (spells SCAM), and if money left your account, call your bank first and then report to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au).
Related scam types
Scams impersonating Target 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))
- Phishing scams: how scammers pose as trusted organisations (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 Target through an official channel.