Today I heard on the radio that people are getting phone calls from someone who says they are from the NWT Power Corporation. The caller says that you haven’t paid your power bill and you have to pay it right away using a credit card, or your power will be cut off.
Eschia! This is a scam.
Do not believe anyone that calls you saying these kinds of things. Ask for the person’s name and number to call them back, but do not actually call them. Instead look up the phone number for the company they say they represent and ask about your account.
If the call was not from the company, report it to the local RCMP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm and give them the person’s name and phone number.
When people phone, text or email you like that, they are trying to scam you out of your money. As my mother would have said, 'edeh!'
The word phishing is used to describe when criminals try to get your information by using text messages, emails, or websites that look like they come from trusted banks, businesses, or government.
Sometimes the message will be from someone saying something like they have a lot of money for you. Ya, right. If it’s too good to be true, it’s not true. Or it might be very short and just say “call me,” or something like that. Sound familiar?
Just like the phony telephone call from NWT Power Corp., there will likely be upsetting or exciting statements in phishing emails or texts to get you to react quickly. The messages usually say something bad will happen unless you contact them or "confirm", "update", or "validate" your account information.
These people want your information so they can steal your money by getting into your bank accounts and transfer your money, or open new bank accounts. They can also steal your identity and buy things on credit or apply for loans and credit cards, leaving you responsible for those debts. Whoa, not cool man.
Never give out personal information such as: your Social Insurance Number (SIN), name and address, birth date, mother's maiden name, usernames, passwords, or driver's license numbers. They also want bank account numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs) credit card information. Eschia!
Tips on scams
Here are some common phrases used in phishing messages:
- E-mail Money Transfer Alert: Please verify this payment information below.
- It has come to our attention that your online banking profile needs to be updated as part of our continuous efforts to protect your account and reduce instances of fraud.
- Dear Online Account Holder, Access To Your Account Is Currently Unavailable.
- Important Service Announcement from.
- You have 1 unread Security Message!
- We regret to inform you that we had to lock your bank account access. Call (telephone number) to restore your bank account.
Do not open an email or text message if you think it’s a phishing attempt. Sometimes, just opening the message might compromise your security. Instead, delete the message right away so you don’t accidentally open it, then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or the institution that it says it’s from.
If you open the message, I urge you, do not download attachments as they might hold viruses, worms or spyware. Also, never, ever click on anything in the message, as they can hold viruses or direct you to fake websites. And for Pete’s sake, do not respond to the sender or call the phone numbers provided.
If you do provide personal or financial information, immediately contact your bank/financial institution or credit card company. Then, have fraud alerts placed on your credit reports by contacting Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada.
And be sure to contact the RCMP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Have a great week and don’t give out your personal information – to anyone.