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, didn含羞草研究社檛 identify himself during the brief telephone conversation.
Bellamy told PAN that he asked for her email address so that he could email her the 含羞草研究社渄esign layout含羞草研究社� 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 didn含羞草研究社檛 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 Bellamy含羞草研究社檚 call was unusual, and the intent of the suspected are unclear.
含羞草研究社淵our guess is as good as ours when it comes to that,含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 always a number of reasons why someone would want an email,含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 hard to know what the intent was without having more information,含羞草研究社� she added.
Gunson offered some tips to the public to protect themselves from scammers.
含羞草研究社淩ight off the bat, if you含羞草研究社檙e receiving an unknown call or receiving a call from a number you don含羞草研究社檛 recognize, our number one recommendation is don含羞草研究社檛 pick up,含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淚f it含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�
The most popular scam CAFC is dealing with at the moment 含羞草研究社� across the country 含羞草研究社� is fraudsters pretending to be representatives from the .
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 what we含羞草研究社檙e receiving non-stop here, 100 per cent. It含羞草研究社檚 something that our centre here is inundated with,含羞草研究社� Gunson said.
Victims, and potential victims, reported to CAFC that the caller display read CRA when they answered the phone.
含羞草研究社淐all spoofing is out there, it含羞草研究社檚 not illegal but the frauds behind it are,含羞草研究社� she added.
is a technique that will mask the identification of a phone number. Fraudsters use it to dupe victims into thinking that they含羞草研究社檙e dealing with a legitimate representative.
含羞草研究社淲hen a scammer calls and tells you that you含羞草研究社檙e being investigated for tax fraud, it含羞草研究社檚 a lie to get you to send iTune cards, Steam cards, bitcoin. That含羞草研究社檚 the endgame.含羞草研究社�
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