Stop and think before you share personal information over the phone or click on COVID-19-related links, as pandemic scams pop up across Canada.
Stop and think before you share personal information over the phone or click on COVID-19-related links — that’s the advice coming from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, as reports of coronavirus scams pop up across the country.
“Fraudsters are quick to pick up on world news,” said Jeff Thomson, a senior RCMP analyst with the anti-fraud centre.
“[They’re] really good at creating that situation of urgency or panic when they want people to react and do what they’re saying right away.”
The key, Thomson says, is to know that these scams are happening and to check with friends, family, or official government websites before giving away any of your information.
Here are some of the COVID-19 scams that have been reported:
Text messages offer free face masks
The most prolific scam in Canada so far has been a text message, from a number claiming to be the Red Cross, offering free face masks.
