Another warning to be “cyber aware” as scammers step up their game — impersonating anyone and everyone to get what they want.
Something Calgarian Wayne Wheaton, who considers himself “scam savvy,” recently found out.
“I get this text and I think it’s from my boss,” he told Global News. “He goes, ‘I need you to buy nine, $100 Apple gift cards.'”
Wheaton, who is a relatively new employee with PrevTech Innovations Inc., said he had no reason to doubt it was his boss sending the messages. Even though the texts were coming from a California phone number.
“I just figured he’s traveling in the States,” he told Global news. “I immediately left here, and I had them bought within five minutes of him texting me.”
The texter then told Wheaton to send him the codes off the back of the cards, as well as copies of the receipts. But then, he did something Wheaton found suspicious and made him stop short of sending him any information.
“The next words from him were’ ‘Understood?'” Wheaton added. “My boss thinks I’m very competent. There’s no way he would question my ability.”
That’s when he got on the company email and sent his actual boss a message.
“He called me within three minutes and said, ‘It’s not me Wayne,’ and that’s how I knew I was scammed.”
The Better Business Bureau Serving Southern Alberta and East Kootenay isn’t surprised by this latest “impersonation” attempt by cybercriminals.
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“It’s happening to businesses. It’s happening to millions of consumers across Canada. It happens every day,” the BBB’s Wes Lafortune told Global News.
“Right now, 75 per cent of scams are happening online and via text.”
Lafortune pointed out the scammer can be anyone, anywhere, and they will try anyway to fool you.
“They might be pretending to be your boss, be a friend, be a colleague,” he said.
They may even pretend to be a local theatre company, something Theatre Calgary recently issued a warning about. It’s investigating two separate Instagram accounts purporting to be legitimate. Those accounts are attempting to scam patrons out of their financial information. Theatre Calgary pointed out it will never ask for any kind of banking or credit card information online.
The BBB said it has become very easy for scammers to get a person’s or company’s information.
“Most businesses have either a LinkedIn profile or a website,” Lafortune said. “So they can gather information and use it. They’re cagey people and they use that information to have you believe they’re legitimate.”
Wheaton believed the scammers got his information from his online business profile.
“It’s not hard for someone to find your phone number,” he pointed out. “It’s certainly not hard for them to find out who you’re working for or who is your boss.”
“These guys did their homework. They knew more about me than I care for them to know. “
He added they also personalized the messages, making him feel more comfortable.
Lafortune said that’s what scammers do, adding the main thing to avoid is responding to any unsolicited text.
“Don’t respond,” Lafortune reiterated. “Do not engage. As soon as you respond, they know you’re there — you’re an active target.”
Wheaton has reported the scam to Apple and the store where he bought the gift cards — which unfortunately are non-refundable.
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