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By Kevin Rothwell

Multi-millions lost to fraud

Scam email hitting local inboxes

Jul 22, 2022 | 2:15 PM

If you work for a larger company with a head office elsewhere, beware of an email from a senior executive asking for your cell phone number or a text to your cell phone.

The text has an urgent request to purchase Visa gift cards from the nearest source, “for clients.” If the bait is taken, at that point the victim has asked for the card numbers, or to drop them off at another location.

The cyber-security officer with Pattison Media tells Vernon Matters he gets reports of a couple of similar scams everyday.

You should always check to make sure the email address and phone number associated with the request match your companies contact list.

Scam attempts should be reported to the Better Business Bureau, which tracks and reports such incidents.

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The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) reports that there have been 28,734 victims of fraud in Canada in the first six months of 2022, with $242 million lost. That is compared with $381 million for all of 2021. Frauds and attempts should be reported to the centre.

Experts are warning Canadians to be vigilant as people are more likely to fall victim to fraud if they are experiencing financial difficulty. Many households are struggling due to higher interest rates, fuel costs and general inflation.