The Niagara Regional Police Service, Central Fraud Unit, has recently received several reports of a refund scam that has been circulating through text message.
The text message indicates the recipient is entitled to a “TelusRefund” due to overpayments and provides an internet link to proceed. Investigation has revealed this is a scam and the message is not legitimate. Members of the public are advised to ignore the message and not follow the URL link.
The Central Fraud Unit has also noticed an increase in several other common scams such as the CRA, romance, and those involving online classified ads. Information on these and other scams can be found on the website for the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm .
Often, victims are being asked to make payments through Bitcoin, ITunes cards, Google Play cards, and other internet based platforms. Scammers will provide instructions on how to use these methods and encourage victims to make up a story to give retailers, explaining why they are purchasing such quantities.
Members of the public are advised to be cautious when solicited for payments through these methods to unknown persons online. If you feel you are the victim of a scam, you are encouraged to contact the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre or your local police. The Niagara Regional Police Service can be reached at (905) 688-4111.
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