TORONTO: A text messaging scam first seen in British Columbia earlier is spreading across the country.
The scam sends potential victims a message purporting to be from Revenue Canada or TD and urging them to open a link to deposit their tax refunds.
TD spokesman Jeff Meerman says he’s seen cons like this before.”This is a new take on a very old scam,” he says.
He says the people behind it are looking for personal info in order to steal identities or access bank accounts.
Daniel Williams with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says the scam seems to originiate south of the border.
“It’s a type of scam that’s most likely hitting the US as well, under the guise of being from the IRS,” he says.” The bank says it is working closely with law enforcement.
“We have an investigation team that is investigating this thoroughly, and also trying to shut it down,” he says.
Meerman is urging anyone who receives a text like this to verify and report it.
He adds that banks never contact customers with personal information requests by email or text.
