5 new scams that came out in January in Mississauga, Brampton and Hamilton
Published January 14, 2023 at 6:20 pm
New year, new scams to be on the lookout for! Residents should be careful not to fall for any phishing scams that attempt to steal your personal or financial information.
Here are 5 of the newest scams that have been targeting local residents:
Saying that the recipient is eligible to collect $452.96 in cash as a two per cent return on previous purchases, this scam asks you to hit a link.
Once the link is hit, scammers will then try to get vital banking information from the person in order to ‘deposit’ the cash.
The text message says the customer’s last payment to Amazon Prime failed. It prompts the customer to visit a website to update their account information.
But this is a phishing scam. Criminals use tactics to trick you into giving your personal information or clicking on links, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Peel Regional Police caught wind of letters purporting to be from major hydro company Alectra.
“Customers are getting mailed letters with instructions to scan a barcode & make a deposit at certain ATMs on Hurontario St.,” Alectra tweeted.
The letters also include a number that sounds like Alectra’s switchboard. A live agent answers to attempt to steal credit card information over the phone.
SCAM ALERT (1/2): @PeelPolice advising of a scam appearing to be from us. Customers are getting mailed letters with instructions to scan a barcode & make a deposit at certain ATMs on Hurontario St. #Brampton #MIssissauga
— Alectra (@alectranews) January 4, 2023
Yet another scam related to Costco, this one claims the recipient has received their 2-per-cent cash back on their purchases from the wholesaler, and should text back with a “Y” for more details.
But that can lead to the scammer pressuring the person for sensitive banking information in order to access a deposit that, of course, is never to arrive.
A scam that has been circulating in the United States, involving a t-shirt purportedly designed by an autistic youth, is appearing in some Facebook groups.
The scammer posts a photo of a t-shirt that looks like it has been specially designed for the community. The design is an anchor with the city name, and the words “unsalted” and “shark-free.”
