Just don’t play the scammers’ game

    Last week, the sad, distorted world of telephone scammers came across my desk.
    The first was a call from a lady who reported that her mother was almost panicked into complying with a phone scammer’s request. The phone scammer said that the older lady owed $2,000 on her Bell account and it was overdue. It needed to be paid right away or there would be dire consequences. However, it could be paid with a discount by driving to Brandon and buying only $1,000 worth of gift cards. Once the cards were bought, the lady would have to phone in to see where to deliver them. Fortunately, a family member intervened and said not to do that. I checked the number that the lady was supposed to phone and it was a southern US number.
    The incident was reported to the police, but it was explained by the police that they would not intervene as there had been no money lost in the scheme. The message is simple, don’t play into these phone schemes.
    If there is a serious request for payment on an overdue account, the company will send you a written notice.
Here’s more information on phone scams from a RCMP press release. I wouldn’t normally print a press release in my column, but the release below clearly outlines another scam.
    “Manitoba RCMP are warning the public about an elaborate online phishing scam involving con artists impersonating police officers. Here’s how the scam works:

• A random text or email is sent to an unsuspecting individual.

• The text or email includes a link that connects to a video conference call with someone claiming to be a police officer. 
    1 •If the link is clicked, the fraudster then works to convince the individual they could be arrested unless they help officers by forwarding gift cards or bitcoin. At times, the fraudster may also try to convince the individual they have a warrant for their arrest but can have it removed by sending gift cards or bitcoin.

    2 •In the past two weeks, dozens of individuals have been given the Manitoba RCMP’s general line phone number by fraudsters to convince them they are legitimate.

    This is a scam.
    RCMP will never send people unsolicited texts or links to click on. If you receive such a message, do not click on the link and delete the text immediately. If you did click on the link and/or provided personal details via the fraudulent online meeting, contact your financial institution immediately, report the incident to your local police service and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
There are a number of ways to guard against online approaches from scam artists:

• Don’t click on links or download attachments in unsolicited text messages or emails;

• Never send your personal, credit card or banking details in response to unsolicited messages and do not enter those details on any website if you are not certain the site is genuine; and

• Always take a moment to verify the source of messages received.

As a reminder, the RCMP will never ask you to:

• Transfer money or make a payment, whether it be cash, credit card, gift cards or bitcoin;

• Provide remote access to your computer; or

• Provide personal information, including your name, date of birth, phone number, email, address or banking details via text message.
    Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of fraud or cybercrime should report it to their local police service and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, at 1-888-495-8501 or online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca.”
    In addition to the above two scams, there are many more including fake calls from a grandchild asking for money to get out of trouble. That one is simply titled, the grandchild scam.
    Please, please, I beg you not to fall into these scams.

    Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the Banner & Press staff.