Even as someone well-versed in #onlinefraud, I nearly fell for a phishing scam myself! Timing played a crucial role in this situation. I would even say the coincidence is quite suspicious!
I was expecting a package delivery and received a text message purportedly from Canada Post / Postes Canada, claiming a delivery failure and prompting me to reschedule the delivery.
The message led to a classic #phishingscam disguised as the official website.
🔴 Red flags included:
❗ Canada Post would not charge for another delivery attempt;
❗ The requested fee being an odd amount, such as $1.25;
❗ All links on the fake website being broken;
❗ The use of a captcha and form validations, yet allowing random numbers in the credit card field.
Stay vigilant! Here are some additional tips to avoid falling prey to scams:
✅ Copy any links from text messages and open them on your desktop, where spotting anomalies is easier (I received a clear warning upon visiting the site!);
✅ Avoid making decisions in a rush, even if the timing seems perfect or you're eager to resolve the issue;
✅ Thoroughly examine the site before entering personal information - look out for the URL legitimacy, grammatical errors, missing images, and broken links.
💡Share this post to help raise awareness and protect others from #onlinefraud!