Warnings about possible online issues/scams

Please be aware that there are many ways for your computer and/or personal information to be compromised:

  1. Phishing is the most common type of fraud currently. Phishing is the attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money), often for malicious reasons, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.  Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, banks, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure unsuspecting victims. Phishing emails may contain links to websites that are infected with malware. Phishing is typically carried out by email spoofing (the email address looks like it is from a trusted individual or company) , or instant messaging, and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. Not all phishing email attacks require a fake website, many have an attachment that will install bad software when opened.
  2. Phone phishing – Messages that claimed to be from a bank told users to dial a phone number regarding problems with their bank accounts. Once the phone number (owned by the phisher, and provided by a Voice over IP service) was dialled, prompts told users to enter their account numbers and PIN. Vishing (voice phishing) sometimes uses fake caller-ID data to give the appearance that calls come from a trusted organization. Phone phishing calls have also been used to direct people to a malicious website, or install bad software, by saying that your computer has a virus or needs an update.

We have been getting calls from customers lately about:

  1. Email claiming that your email account is full, or your account information needs to be verified or updated. Do not reply to, or click on any links or attachments. Please delete these immediately, they are not from us.
  2. Email claiming to be from a shipping company, such as FedEx or DHL asking you to print a label or click a link. Do not click on any links or attachments. Please delete these immediately.
  3. Email claiming to be from a bank saying that there are issues with your account or your banking information. Do not reply to, or click on any links or attachments. Please delete these immediately.
  4. Email claiming to be from PayPal, Facebook or any other web service asking for your address or any other information, or your account needs to be verified or updated. Do not reply to, or click on any links or attachments.
  5. Phone calls claiming to be from Microsoft, Banks, Revenue Canada (CRA), or some other company asking people to visit a malicious website, or install bad software, by saying that your computer has a virus, at risk, your account needs to be verified or updated, or threatening you with police action. Hang up on them. Do not follow any instructions from them, as they are trying to get you to compromise your computer, or get you to disclose your personal or banking information.

Here are some Links that may help keep you informed:

There are many other ways for criminals to try to steal online, so stay vigilant!

We will attempt to keep you posted with updates as we hear about them.