Online Email and Text Scams are on the rise.
The Ontario Government would like to remind Students and Families to use caution to avoid being cyber-crime victims.
Here are a few tips to protect yourself.
Do not reply to messages, call back a number or click on any links if you don’t recognize the number.
Search the web address or number to verify information and delete messages immediately if you don’t recognize the sender.
Phishing phone calls, emails and texts are fraudulent messages sent by cyber criminals to try and lure you into revealing personal or financial information. Phishing scams come in the form of both threatening messages and incentive opportunities, encouraging you to click a link or call a number to win a prize, send money, pay overdue bills, or access missed deliveries.
Tips to protect yourself:
– Do not reply to the message, call the number or click on any links in the message.
– Do a web search of the phone number and message to verify information.
– Contact the organization directly to inquire about the message you have received.
– Delete the message if you cannot verify it is from a trustworthy source.
If you think you have been a victim of phishing:
– Change your passwords.
– Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-88-495-8501.
– Report the incident your local police.
Visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s What to do if you’re a Victim of Fraud page for more information.
