Rogers warns of text messages promising outage-related rebates

Rogers Communications Inc. is warning Canadians to be wary of text messages offering to reimburse customers for a system outage earlier this month.

Screenshots shared on social media show text messages purporting to be from Rogers, asking recipients to click on a link to claim their rebate.

Rogers says it never sends credit notifications by text and anyone receiving such a message should not click on the link.

The 16-hour wireless system outage on April 19 was traced to a software upgrade, the company said. A Rogers email to customers the next day said it would issue a credit for that day’s service on May’s wireless bills, with no action required by customers.

One text message posted to social media falsely says that “R0GERS WIRELESS INC.” — spelled with a zero instead of the letter O — is offering a $50 credit if people click on a provided link.

The $50 flat-rate figure is bogus, Rogers says, because the credit amount will vary depending on the wireless plan.

And since the credit is being automatically added to May’s bills, any legitimate Rogers communication wouldn’t include a registration link.

“Some customers have received scam text messages requesting individuals (to) click on a link to collect a credit,” the company says on its website. “These messages are not from Rogers.”

It suggests recipients forward the message to 7726 (SPAM).

The company, which operates the Rogers, Fido and Chatr wireless brands, has additional tips for detecting phishing messages via text or email.

— Check the email address, not just the sender’s name. Watch for extra words, symbols or substituted letters, especially in the domain name.

— Links and attachments may contain malicious software, so don’t click or open them. Instead, go directly to the source’s official site.

— Requests for personal information are a red flag. Major institutions, such as banks and government services, don’t ask for those details through email or text.

— Be cautious if the sender requires a quick or urgent response.

— Spelling and grammar mistakes are common in basic phishing messages, so read the message carefully.

David Paddon, The Canadian Press