A person uses a cellphone in Ottawa on Monday, July 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick skp
Digvijay Kosamia, a resident of Vancouver, finds himself checking his phone multiple times a day, only to be greeted by frustrating messages from unknown numbers. Sometimes, the texts claim to be notifications from Canada Post about a package he never ordered, while other times they falsely alert him that his bank has frozen his card, even providing the first four digits of his account. Though Kosamia believes he hasn't fallen for these scams, he worries about his family members potentially being deceived.
Kosamia's experience is not isolated. Many Canadians report being bombarded with spam and fraudulent texts, with some receiving up to 15 or 20 per week. This surge in spam text messages aligns with statistics showing an increase in phishing attempts, where scammers try to trick recipients into clicking malicious links, downloading malware, or sharing sensitive information.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 5,395 text messages were reported as part of fraud incidents last year, resulting in nearly $24 million in losses. However, these figures likely represent only a fraction of the actual cases, as many victims do not report such incidents. Jeff Horncastle, a spokesperson for the anti-fraud centre, attributes the rise in scams to automation, making it easier for scammers to target a larger number of people.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), responsible for enforcing anti-spam legislation, has also observed an increase in text message scams. In the six months leading up to March 31 of the current year, the CRTC's Spam Reporting Centre received 4,705 complaints, with approximately one-fifth related to text messages. Of these, 45 percent were phishing attempts and 13 percent involved other types of scams.
Employment scams are among the prevalent types of text message scams, promising high pay for minimal work. These scams often escalate, with victims eventually being asked to contribute their own funds or unknowingly become involved in illegal activities such as money laundering.
Scammers employ various tactics to make their messages appear legitimate, including using logos of well-known organizations like Service Ontario or the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), or including partial account numbers of financial institutions. Victims are more likely to fall for these scams when they believe the sender to be a trusted organization.
To protect themselves, individuals are advised not to provide personal information in response to unexpected text messages and to verify the legitimacy of the sender by contacting the relevant institution directly. Suspicious messages can be forwarded to 7726 (SPAM) to alert cellular providers for investigation.
The CRTC is collaborating with telecom companies to develop measures to block harmful traffic and stay ahead of evolving scams. Pierre-Luc Denis, director of electronic commerce enforcement for the CRTC, acknowledges the challenge of keeping up with scammers' tactics and emphasizes the need for ongoing vigilance and cooperation across international borders.
In summary, the rise in spam text messages poses a significant threat to Canadians, both in terms of financial losses and potential security risks. Vigilance, skepticism, and proactive measures are essential to combatting this growing problem.
