Barrie police are warning residents of an “aggressive text-messaging scam” making the rounds in the area.
Police say the text appears to be from Revenue Canada and threatens licence suspension if the person does not click on the link provided to pay unpaid fines.
“We have had a couple reports, one in particular where somebody actually clicked on the link and the very next day there was a purchase made, using that credit-card number used to pay the fine, for an airline ticket,” said Peter Leon, the department’s communications coordinator.
“They are taking horrible advantage of people. Revenue Canada doesn’t collect fines, whether it’s for municipal issues, provincial issues or even for criminal court decisions that are made," he added.
Leon pointed out that if you visit Revenue Canada’s official website, it’s clearly indicated they do not send any communication via email or text messages.
“They are going to reach out to you by correspondence and it’s going to be very, very professional in appearance,” he said. “This is just another quick scam that … could have been through a parking tag or speed camera.
"We’ve only had a few, but it’s one of those things where people have gotten used to, with the recent postal disruption, of receiving things like statements from credit card companies and that sort of thing via email," Leon added.
Police advise anyone who receives a message like this to simply delete it.
“We don’t want anybody to become a victim," said Leon. "Once they have your credit-card number, the nightmare begins until you realize it’s being used and can get it cancelled.
"People need to be careful, cautious and look before they click.”
