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Provincial police warned that criminals intend to steal personal information or funds from growing text-based smartphone scams called “Smishing”.
OPP issued a warning that cybercriminals are using Smess strategy, a combination of SMS (Short Message Service) and phishing to send spoofed text messages.
The text attempts to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link or calling a fraudulent number.
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Police said signal messages usually come from financial institutions, delivery companies, online retailers or government agencies.
They warn that clicking a link could lead to identity theft, financial fraud, or malware installed on personal devices.
Officials said Canada’s Anti-Fraud Center received nearly 9,500 reports of identity fraud, as well as more than 3,900 reports of personal information theft in 2024.
Police advise against clicking on links, replying to messages or calling unknown senders.
Suspicious text can be reported by forwarding it to 7726 (spam), and the suspicious message should be deleted.
Police also said the updated operating system and security software help keep smartphones safe, as did multi-factor authentication for banks, social media and other sensitive accounts.
Verify unexpected text messages by checking the official website or contacting the organization directly.
For more information, visit Antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/scams-fraudes/victim-victime-eng.htm to review the Fraud Center Guide to know that you are a victim of fraud or a victim of visiting opp.ca. or sfo.opp.ca/.
If you suspect fraudulent activity or have been a victim of fraud, please call 1-888-495-8501 to report it immediately to your local police and Canada’s anti-fraud center, or online through the RCMP fraud reporting system.
jkotsis@postmedia.com
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