5 text scams that people have been seeing in Mississauga and Brampton
Published January 27, 2023 at 8:44 pm
Here are some scam texts that we are seeing over the last few months.
Anyone who receives these texts is advised to delete them and avoid clicking any links, as they may put you at risk and target your personal or financial information.
We’ve rounded up 5 of the most notable scams from the past month:
This scam will claim to be the CRA and offer a tax refund, encouraging you to click on a link provided in their message.
Once you click on the link, you may be asked for personal information such as your social insurance number, date of birth, name, and online banking information to accept the refund by e-transfer.
4. Scam targeting residents who got the COVID-19 vaccine
The scam message alleges to be from Ontario Health, claiming the recipient has received financial compensation for getting their COVID-19 vaccine.
Residents are reminded that they will not be sent money from the government for getting vaccinated.
As the gift giving season approaches, residents may see more scams related to online shopping, such as this message posing as legitimate delivery service FedEx.
“FedEx does not request, via unsolicited mail, text or email, payment or personal information in return for goods in transit or in FedEx custody,” according to a notice on the FedEx website. “If you receive any of these or similar communications, do not reply or cooperate with the sender.”
This phishing scam texts cellphone users with a message claiming to be from “Postes Canada,” claiming that a delivery is “stuck in a warehouse center” – using the American spelling of “center” despite claiming to be from a Canadian organisation.
The scam that got the most attention this month was another CRA-related text message, offering the recipient an “annual return” of several hundred dollars.
“Do not reply to the text message or send them any personal information. The CRA will not use text messages or instant messages to start a conversation with you about your refund,” the CRA warns.
Anyone who receives the scam is advised to delete it and avoid clicking the link.
