THE Terrace RCMP is warning the public about an email scam circulating, which references the RCMP and traffic offences.
On Friday May 19, 2017 Terrace RCMP received several complaints regarding the scam. The scam involved an email titled RCMP Driver Manager. The email referenced a traffic fine and directed recipients to a link.
Terrace RCMP would like to remind the public:
Be suspicious of any e-mail or text message containing urgent requests for personal or financial information (financial institutions and credit card companies normally will not use e-mail to confirm an existing client’s information).
Contact the organization by using a telephone number from a credible source such as a phone book or a bill.
Never email personal or financial information.
Avoid embedded links in an e-mail claiming to bring you to a secure site.
Get in the habit of looking at a website’s address line and verify if it displays something different from the address mentioned in the email.
Regularly update your computer protection with anti-virus software, spyware filters, email filters and firewall programs.
A number of legitimate companies and financial institutions that have been targeted by phishing schemes have published contact information for reporting possible phishing e-mails as well as online notices about how their customers can recognize and protect themselves from phishing.
Regularly check your bank, credit and debit card statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate.
Always report phishing. If you have responded to one of these suspicious e-mails, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Terrace RCMP has also recently been made aware of a telephone phone scam referencing taxes and the need to take immediate action.
Please be reminded of the following phone safety tips:
Do not …..
– Believe that everyone calling with an exciting promotion or investment opportunity is trustworthy, especially if you do not know the caller or their company.
– Invest or purchase a product or service without carefully checking out the investment, product, service, and the company.
– Be afraid to request further documentation from the caller so you can verify the validity of the company.
– Be fooled by the promise of a valuable prize in return for a low cost purchase.
– Be pressured to send money to take advantage of a “special offer or deal”.
– Be hurried into sending money to claim a prize that is available for only a “few hours”.
– Disclose information about your finances, bank accounts or credit cards (not even the credit card expiry date).
Be afraid to hang-up the phone.
DO
Contact the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre if you are contacted by someone who promises you great prizes, but you are required to send money in advance for shipping, handling, taxes, etc.
Contact the Canadian Anti fraud-Centre if you are contacted by someone who says that you have won a prize, but you have to purchase a product to qualify.
Please contact the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre to lodge a complaint or request more information:
Toll-free telephone: 1-888-495-8501
Toll-free fax: 1-888-654-9426
Mail: Box 686, North Bay, Ontario P1B 8J8
Or, contact the Competition Bureau of Industry Canada at:
Toll-free telephone: 1-800-348-5358
E-mail: compbureau@ic.gc.ca
If you have information about crime contact the Terrace RCMP at (250)638-7400 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers by telephone at 1-800-222-TIPS, online at www.terracecrimestoppers.ca or by texting 274637 (CRIMES), then in the body of your text message type TERRACE, followed by your tip information.
