Dear Clients,
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) found through an investigative study that scammers are leaning away from typical Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) ploys, now they are posing as the Public Health Agency of Canada and our local Alberta Health Service officials.
These Government imposter scams are using the Covid-19 pandemic as leverage, such scams are constantly evolving.
Fraudsters involved in these scams are often using normal tactics of fear to target their victims. They will often ask for money from victims in the form of gift cards, some newer scams are offering victims “free” government grants as long as they pay a “fee,” usually through gift cards.
There are a couple things you can be aware of to recognize these types of scams.
- Unsolicited phone calls from people acting as government officials. If you need to be contacted by the government, you will be notified via mail first.
- Scammers often use fake names, badge numbers, and other identifying information.
- Call spoofing may allow your Caller ID to display a false phone number to increase the likelihood of a victim answering.
- If a scammer reveals your personal information to you, it may mean your data has already been compromised, in which case you need to hang up and immediately contact authorities.
- Never hand out money or gift cards over the phone, the Canadian Government will never accept payments over the phone.
- Do not fall for intimidation tactics.
If you feel suspicious about the nature of a caller’s intentions, hang up and contact the government agency they posed as using their official number on the Government of Canada’s directory. We hope this information helps you during these times, thank you for reading our newsletter.
Kind regards,
Xentas Inc.
Christian Fruhen
Computer Services, Lessons,
Webdesign & Print Solutions
(403) 481 – 8080
info@xentas.ca
www.xentas.ca