Manitoba RCMP have had several reports of a new kind of phishing scam, and they are warning the public to be alert for this latest attempt to swindle them.
In a release, RCMP said they’d received calls about scammers texting people a link to a video chat with someone who claims to be a police officer. If you click on the link, you’ll be taken to the video chat where the next phase of the scam begins.
“If the link is clicked,” said RCMP in their release, “the fraudster then works to convince the individual they could be arrested unless they help officers by forwarding gift cards or bitcoin. At times, the fraudster may also try to convince the individual they have a warrant for their arrest but can have it removed by sending gift cards or bitcoin.”
According to the release, in the past two weeks dozens of people have been given the Manitoba RCMP’s general line phone number by fraudsters to convince them they are legitimate. RCMP are reminding the public that this is in fact a scam.
“RCMP will never send people unsolicited texts or links to click on,” the release says. “If you receive such a message, do not click on the link and delete the text immediately. If you did click on the link and/or provided personal details via the fraudulent online meeting, contact your financial institution immediately, report the incident to your local police service and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.”
There are a number of ways to guard against online approaches from scam artists:
- Don’t click on links or download attachments in unsolicited text messages or emails;
- Never send your personal, credit card or banking details in response to unsolicited messages and do not enter those details on any website if you are not certain the site is genuine; and
- Always take a moment to verify the source of messages received.
As a reminder, the RCMP will never ask you to:
- Transfer money or make a payment, whether it be cash, credit card, gift cards or bitcoin;
- Provide remote access to your computer; or
- Provide personal information, including your name, date of birth, phone number, email, address or banking details via text message.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of fraud or cybercrime should report it to their local police service and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, at 1-888-495-8501 or online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca.
