NEWS RELEASE
THUNDER BAY POLICE SERVICE
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The Thunder Bay Police Service is warning the public about a possible spike in the circulation of fraudulent emails and text messages.
In at least one reported case, a local person received an email message claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency. The text message purported the recipient was owed money and a link promising an e-transfer of the owed funds was provided.
This is a scam. Even though the email looked legitimate and professional, the would-be victim did the right thing by deleting the message and not clicking on any of its links.
The Thunder Bay Police Service would like to remind residents to be skeptical of any unsolicited phone calls, emails, or home visits by any organization, financial or government institution. You have the right to hang up the phone, delete emails and text messages, or close your door.
If you believe the claim may be legitimate, find the contact information of the company or institution they purport to be associated with independently. Then contact the organization to follow-up on the claims. Never use the contact information provided to you by the suspected fraudster.
International Students who may be unfamiliar with Canadian laws and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to these kinds of scams. Please take time to speak to those you know who may be more at-risk of being victimized by scams.
Never call 9-1-1 to report a suspected scam.
If you receive a call from a suspected scammer, but avoided being victimized, please do not call the non-emergency line. Unfortunately, the Thunder Bay Police Service is unable to stop these calls from being made.
For more information about protecting yourself from such scams please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/)
To view examples of fraudulent emails, visit this webpage: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/security/protect-yourself-against-fraud/samples-fraudulent-emails.html
