Peter Edwards
April 29, 2020
Fraudsters use stolen identities, tricking you to click on phishing links
The scammer on Facebook said he just wanted to help.
He claimed he'd got an easy $100,000 from the federal government's new benefit program for those who've lost income over the pandemic. And now, he said, he wanted to help his Facebook friends get their own tidy profit.
In reality, he'd stolen a retiree's identity. It was a trick to get the senior's friends to give up their confidential information.
Canadians are used to phone calls from criminals posing as angry CRA agents around tax time, but now police are warning you to watch out for a new kind of scam: This time, the fraudsters are calling to say they're eager to help you out in this time of crisis. Maybe you're worried you have the virus? Or perhaps you need a job? Surely you'd like free points at Shopper's Drug Mart?
Cybersecurity experts note that this is a prime time for career scammers around the world to monetize fear. And in Canada, criminals are increasingly exploiting the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain Canadians' personal banking information while posing as representatives from government, health care, and research companies, police warn.
"It's all about using fear and urgency," Det. Sgt. Ted Schendera of the OPP anti-rackets squad said in an interview. "It's a scammer's way of life."
Instead of leaning on strangers, police urge consumers to turn to official government websites for COVID-19 questions.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which works with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau, and the Ontario Provincial Police, has a growing list of COVID-19 scams, including the Facebook benefits scheme.
"Beware of unsolicited requests or offers," the centre warns. "Don't click on links or open attachments. Don't provide personal or financial information to an unsolicited request. Make sure your devices are up-to-date including operating systems, software, and anti-virus protection."
In one of the current Canadian scams, a caller claims to be from the Public Health Agency of Canada and says you've tested positive for COVID-19. You're asked to confirm your health card number and your credit card and banking information so that they get go ahead with your treatment.
You might also get a call from a bogus representative of a charity - the Red Cross, say - who offers you free medical supplies, such as masks, in exchange for donations. Again, you're expected to click a link to get things moving.
In the early days of the virus, before social distancing, salespeople knocked on doors posing as representatives of cleaning or heating companies. They'd promise to supply you with special air ducts or filters to guard against the virus.
Now, such scams are conducted online and over the phone.
Perhaps you'll be contacted by a high-pressure financial consultant with a stock tip that will let you profit from pandemic-related products like test kits, vaccines, and cures.
You might also be offered supposed a COVID-19 test kit of your own, or bogus products - including a "Miracle Oil" - promising to treat or prevent the virus. Again, you just have to click on a link.
Scammers might claim to be from respected agencies like the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization. They might offer you a chance to buy a fake list of people who have COVID-19, so you know the neighbourhoods to avoid.
They might try to scare you by claiming you are dangerously behind on your household utilities.
They may even try to comfort you by offering a job. Of course, you'll be told, the interview and employment will be entirely online because of the pandemic. But first, provide your personal and banking information.
You might receive an email that appears to be from Shoppers Drug Mart, promising to help "Survive COVID-19" with a special offer of free Optimum points. You just have to complete a quick survey and click that link.
Shoppers Drug Mart itself has posted a security alert warning of this scam: "If you've received one of these messages - Do not click any of the links or reply with any personal information. Immediately delete the text," the alert reads, also asking anyone receiving the messages to report them to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
"I think 'perfect storm' is the right term for it," said Chris Dalby, managing editor for InSight Crime, a foundation that analyzes organized crime, particularly in Latin American and the Caribbean.
An added challenge of the pandemic is that employees around the world are suddenly working from home without easy contact with their company's IT departments. Many people are also desperate for information about the pandemic.
"If you do not have security software such as virus scanners and a firewall installed on your computer, a trusted computer professional can help you choose what you need," the OPP anti-rackets squad urges in a press release. "Scammers may have also gained access to your online passwords or other personal information. Change these using a secure computer. If you paid someone by credit card or through an electronic funds transfer, contact your financial institution or credit card company immediately. They may be able to stop or reverse the transaction."
The wide range of fraud schemes is still growing, but the scammers were quick to jump on COVID-19.
Shortly after announcing the new benefits program, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned of attempts to exploit it.
"I'm sorry to say, there appears to be a text scam going around on the new emergency response benefit," Trudeau said in a televised address in late March. "I want to remind everyone that the government's website is the best place to find reliable information on everything we're doing."
Such attempts to profit from pandemic fears aren't just a Canadian thing.
In an interview, Oxford University criminologist Federico Varese said that someone impersonating an Oxford colleague contacted him in an attempt to draw him into a similar scam.
"I received (fake emails) from my own university," said Varese, a widely-respected expert on international organized crime. "Fake email from my own university."
Shortly after social distancing lockdowns began in March, the international police agency INTERPOL co-ordinated raids resulting in 121 arrests worldwide of people said to be connected to 37 European organized crime groups.
Interpol said law enforcement officials were able to seize more than 34,000 items, including counterfeit masks, faulty hand sanitizers, and suspect medicines that were being sold on 2,000 websites.
The bogus network included a fake website purporting to be from a legitimate Spanish company that sold face masks.
"Those arrested in this case had no connections to the medical equipment industry. They were simply experienced fraudsters who saw an opportunity with the outbreak of COVID-19," Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said after the busts.
The agency followed up by posting a warning on its website: "INTERPOL would like to remind members of the public to be vigilant as organized crime groups continue to adapt their activities to benefit from the global health crisis."
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This article was written by Peter Edwards from The Toronto Star and was legally licensed by AdvisorStream through the NewsCred publisher network.
