If you receive a text message supposedly from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), think twice before acting on it.
That’s the message from Southern Georgian Bay OPP, which is warning north Simcoe residents about a scam.
The phishing scam sees unsolicited RCMP “delivery notices” sent via text message, informing recipients the RCMP was unable to deliver court documents and asking them to reschedule to avoid missing a court date. The messages include a link to an unofficial, fraudulent RCMP website to “reschedule the delivery.”
The RCMP does not issue notices by text message, police said, noting the official RCMP website is rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
“If you receive such a message, do not click the links. Delete the text immediately,” police said in a news release. “If you clicked on a link or provided personal details via the fraudulent website, contact your financial institution immediately and report it to your local police service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.”
Examples of the phishing text message scam can be found here.
Anyone who has been a victim of fraud or cybercrime can report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre here or by calling 1-888-495-8501.
