Following a peculiar phone call from a man after an in a Langley resident called the newspaper Thursday to confirm her suspicion.
Linda Bellamy said she received a phone call from a man Thursday. The man, who called from a Connecticut phone number, didnB次元官网网址檛 identify himself during the brief telephone conversation.
Bellamy told PAN that he asked for her email address so that he could email her the B次元官网网址渄esign layoutB次元官网网址� for a news article PAN wrote about her and her mother Linda Vohlidka last February. The article was a feature on a crochet circle Bellamy started at Whitecliff Retirement Residence, where participants would make sleeping mats for homeless people out of plastic grocery bags.
Bellamy didnB次元官网网址檛 provide her email address to the man, and ended the conversation.
The man called a second time Friday.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre acting call centre manager Jessica Gunson, based out of Ontario, told PAN that BellamyB次元官网网址檚 call was unusual, and the intent of the suspected are unclear.
B次元官网网址淵our guess is as good as ours when it comes to that,B次元官网网址� Gunson said Friday.
Gunson said the majority of complaints CAFC receives are based on phishing techniques. Phishing is an attempt to obtain sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, for malicious reasons by disguising as a trustworthy entity.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 always a number of reasons why someone would want an email,B次元官网网址� she added.
Another possibility, Gunson said, adding that she was only speculating, is that the suspected fraudster may have wanted to email malware or a malicious link, something that could mine personal data from the recipient.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to know what the intent was without having more information,B次元官网网址� she added.
Gunson offered some tips to the public to protect themselves from scammers.
B次元官网网址淩ight off the bat, if youB次元官网网址檙e receiving an unknown call or receiving a call from a number you donB次元官网网址檛 recognize, our number one recommendation is donB次元官网网址檛 pick up,B次元官网网址� she said.
Gunson, who said she regularly receives suspicious calls from 800- and 855-area-code numbers, says she routinely lets the call ring to voice mail.
B次元官网网址淚f itB次元官网网址檚 really important, they will leave me a message. If something is urgent, and if someone needs to get a hold of me, those who need to get a hold of me know how to reach me.B次元官网网址�
The most popular scam CAFC is dealing with at the moment B次元官网网址� across the country B次元官网网址� is fraudsters pretending to be representatives from the .
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檙e receiving non-stop here, 100 per cent. ItB次元官网网址檚 something that our centre here is inundated with,B次元官网网址� Gunson said.
Victims, and potential victims, reported to CAFC that the caller display read CRA when they answered the phone.
B次元官网网址淐all spoofing is out there, itB次元官网网址檚 not illegal but the frauds behind it are,B次元官网网址� she added.
is a technique that will mask the identification of a phone number. Fraudsters use it to dupe victims into thinking that theyB次元官网网址檙e dealing with a legitimate representative.
B次元官网网址淲hen a scammer calls and tells you that youB次元官网网址檙e being investigated for tax fraud, itB次元官网网址檚 a lie to get you to send iTune cards, Steam cards, bitcoin. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the endgame.B次元官网网址�
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