The past few weeks have seen an “exponential” increase in fraud attempts, ranging from phishing emails to hyper-rigged phone calls, says Octavia Howell, IT security manager at Equifax Canada.
See also – Strike at Canada Post: what you need to know
“Every time there is a major political event, a major strike or something like that, we see an increase,” she said in a telephone interview. Not only is there a strike at Canada Post, but it’s also the holiday season.”
Parcel and delivery scams typically increase with online orders this time of year, but the Canada Post work stoppage has led to even more fraud attempts amid confusion over expeditions, argued Ms. Howell.
Full numbers on the latest round of scams are not yet available from Equifax Canada, but the credit bureau’s daily updates nonetheless marked an increase.
Instead of the half-dozen daily reports of consumer fraud as was previously the case, Equifax Canada’s investigative team is reporting as many as “87 in one day’s report from the same addresses IP,” Ms Howell said.
She called the trend “insidious.”
“We’re seeing exponential growth in the number of scams that are actually happening … because, on one hand, there’s the holidays and, on the other hand, people can’t ship their packages,” she explained.
Postmen went on strike on November 15, halting letter and package deliveries at the start of the holiday shipping season.
Canada Post warns users that it never communicates with them by text message or email about a delivery unless asked.
The Crown corporation asked Canadians to be on guard for telltale signs of a phishing or fraud attempt, including French errors, images inconsistent with Canada Post logos and a tracking number which does not correspond to its standard format.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) also warned users when the strike began.
“Beware of fake package delivery offers during the Canadian postal strike,” the non-profit organization said in a statement last month.
He advised potential victims to check delivery services, avoid unsolicited shipping offers from little-known companies, and check BBB accreditation before selecting a service.
He also noted that scammers may send fake messages claiming to be from Canada Post or another carrier requesting payment for undelivered items or offering “priority service.”
“Do not click on links in unsolicited emails or text messages. Instead, visit the delivery service’s official website for updates,” the organization said.
Canada Post recommends that customers contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center if they receive a suspicious email, text message or call related to the postal service.
