Wrong number text scam circulating in Mississauga and Brampton

Have you received a text from someone who thinks they know you?

This might be a so-called wrong number text scam, which is targeting residents in Mississauga, Brampton and beyond.

The text message looks like the person got the wrong number. It could be a question, someone letting you know they can’t make a meeting or informing you they have sent something.

“Did you receive it? Sent like a [sic] hour ago?” reads one such text circulating in Mississauga.

This is likely a wrong number text scam. If you respond, you may be lured into a friendly conversation ending with the fraudster trying to get money from you.

The most common scam is tricking the person into a too-good-to-be-true investment opportunity.

In one recent case in the United States, an NBC reporter responded to a text message from a stranger saying she wouldn’t be able to make it to a meeting the next day because she was sick.

The reporter responded with a caring message but told her she had the wrong number. The woman continued texting with friendly messages but she soon turned the conversation to investing in cryptocurrency.

This type of scam has been circulating in the U.S. for several months. The Massachusetts government warns that there rise in “wrong number” texts and Americans received over 12 billion robo-texts in June alone last year.

“Once you reply, even just to tell the sender that they have a wrong number, you’re now an active target that the scammer may try to talk into a crypto investment scheme,” the Massachusetts government warns.

Here are some tips to avoid this scam:

• Do not reply. If you do respond, your number may be identified as “active”, and you will likely see an uptick in bogus calls or messages.
• Avoid clicking on any embedded links sent by a mysterious number.  These links will lead you to websites designed to steal personal information and/or install malware on your device.
• Stay up to date with any smart device system updates.  These updates often include patches to stop or block current security threats.
• Never send an unknown individual any money, personal information, or other details. They could be used to harm you.
• Finally, remember, just because someone has your name or number, does not mean they know you.

Report scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

For more on recent scams, visit 5 text scams that people have been seeing in Mississauga and Brampton.