One of the ways fraudsters rip people off is through bogus text messages that try to steal your login credentials. The latest phishing scam looks like the bad guys are pretending to be Rogers-owned flanker brand Fido.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) shared an alert about a phishing scam that is targeting Canadians who seemingly are always trying to find the best cellphone deal.
“Fraudsters posing as Fido are sending text messages with fake New Year’s offers,” said the CRTC on Thursday on X. “Don’t fall for it! Avoid clicking on any suspicious links. Share this warning with friends and family!”, said the CRTC.
It looks like fraudsters know some Canadians are gullible when it comes to a good cellphone deal. With both Rogers and Fido frequently sending out promotional offers via text message, it’s easy for someone who’s not tech-savvy to fall for it. The text message likely points users toward a bogus Fido website to sign in, and once they do, credentials are provided for free to the bad guys.
It seems there are enough fraud cases about this specific phishing scam, that the CRTC thought it was worthy enough to share the news publicly. The commission pointed people to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website, which provides instructions on what to do if you’ve been a victim of fraud or have been scammed (no, you can’t report your cellphone plan pricing as fraud, sadly).
For years we’ve been saying never to pick up the phone when an unknown number is calling. Now, we can throw text messages into the mix. Never believe anything on the web folks. Nothing is real.
