THUNDER BAY – CRIME Beat – The efforts to separate you from your money continue. Fraudsters in Minto Ontario recently tried to scam a woman into providing her personal information and credit card numbers via text message and a weblink. This effort also called phishing, could have been an attempt to steal the victim’s identity as well as money from her credit card.
On October 30, 2017, the OPP were contacted by a concerned citizen advising of a phone scam that had occurred.
The victim reported receiving a text message at approximately 7:25 p.m. the previous evening claiming to be from Rogers Wireless. The message indicated that there was an overpayment on her account. In order to transfer the funds, she was instructed to click on the link provided and submit the required information.
The message indicated that there was an overpayment on her account. In order to transfer the funds, she was instructed to click on the link provided and submit the required information.
The complainant reported that when she clicked on the link it appeared legitimate. She began to fill out the fields required however became suspicious when it asked her for her credit card CCV number and ATM pin number. She contacted Rogers and learned that it was not legitimate.
The OPP state, “Modern, tech-savvy scammers have the ability to create very convincing scams. They won’t hesitate to use the name of a legitimate company in an effort to gain your trust and trick you into paying them. Always be cautious with unsolicited email, phone calls, letters, even visitors at your door. Always be certain who you are dealing with before you ever consider sending money or sharing personal information.”
If you think you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report online at www.antifraudcentre.ca.
That old adage of buyer beware could in today’s world also be expanded to “Clicker beware”.
