Ontario man who almost fell for text scam issues warning to others
An Ontario man thought he got some good news when he received a text message offering a $30 gift for being a loyal Giant Tiger customer.
"I do go to that store so I clicked on the link and it said it was a customer appreciation award they were going to give people," Mark Martin, of Simcoe, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.
When Martin clicked on the text's link, he said it instructed him to sign into his bank account and provide his banking details first before he could receive the e-transfer.
The link took him to a website with a list of Canadian banks, including his. That's when Martin said he became concerned and realized it was a scam.
"The banking page was identical to my bank, but when they get down to asking for your banking information and personal information that was a red flag right there," said Martin.
A Giant Tiger spokesperson confirmed to CTV News Toronto that it is aware of fraudulent scams impersonating itself and other trusted retail brands.
"I want to stress that the message that this customer received is not from Giant Tiger," the statement reads.
"This message that falsely claims to be from our brand asks customers for banking information, which Giant Tiger would never ask customers to provide. Legitimate promotions, contests and offers from Giant Tiger will always be cross-posted to our website. These types of scams are, unfortunately, becoming more common as bad actors attempt to use the names of longstanding and trusted brands to lure the recipients into a false sense of security."
Cybersecurity experts say criminals are flooding inboxes with scam messages impersonating banks, courier companies, Canada Post, Highway 407 ETR and Revenue Canada.
Nick Biasini, the head of outreach with Cisco Talos, a cybersecurity company, said everyone needs to be extremely cautious when they receive unsolicited texts and emails.
"There are an awful lot of strange texts messages circulating out there and they are also tied to scam activity," said Biasini.
Scammers hope to gain access to personal information or banking details this way to either hack into bank accounts or steal someone's identity.
"If you get an email for a deal that seems impossible or a text that seems too good to be true, it most definitely is too good to be true and there are bad guys behind it trying to do something nefarious," said Biasini.
To protect yourself, don't click on unsolicited links, guard your information carefully, don't enter contests that ask for your personal information, don't store passwords in your web browser and use two-factor authentication when possible.
Martin is glad he didn't get caught in the scam and wanted to warn others.
"If you're not expecting (a text message), just dump it and block it. It's not worth it," said Martin.
Biasini said criminals also use QR codes to hack into your phone or computer. In these instances, someone might receive a text with what appears to be an offer from a legitimate business, but when they scan the QR code, it sends them to a malicious website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
TRUDEAU LIVE NOW RCMP alleges Indian officials in Canada connected to extortion, homicides
The RCMP is alleging Indian diplomats and consular officials based in Canada engaged in clandestine activities linked to serious criminal activity in this country, including homicides and extortions.
Ontario police say 'escalating incidents' between high schools connected to deadly crash
'Escalating incidents' between two Hamilton high schools are believed to be connected to a car crash last week that left a 15-year-old boy dead, police say.
Father of 10-year-old girl found dead in the U.K. called police from Pakistan to say he killed her
The father of a 10-year-old girl found dead in her home in England fled to Pakistan and called U.K. police from there to say he had killed her, a jury heard Monday.
'We apologize to anyone we've offended': Bath and Body Works pulls candles over backlash
A major American retailer has stopped selling its new winter-themed candle over backlash from shoppers who said its design resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods.
Undercooked bear meat linked to outbreak of rare parasitic disease in U.S.
An outbreak of a rare parasitic disease has been linked to undercooked bear meat eaten by dozens of people at a gathering in North Carolina, a new U.S. CDC report has revealed.
Alberta government proposing additional restrictions on wind and solar energy
The Alberta government is proposing additional restrictions on wind and solar farms that conservationists think are more about limiting renewable energy than protecting the environment.
Airbnb guests east of Toronto steal quarter of a million dollars worth of jewelry: police
Four guests at an Airbnb east of Toronto made off with a quarter of million dollars worth of jewelry following their stay, police say.
Striking images show rare floods in the largest hot desert on Earth
Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.
Woman killed by malfunctioning ottoman bed
A 39-year-old British woman was killed when a malfunctioning ottoman bed fell on her neck and asphyxiated her, a coroner’s report said.