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Beware of scammers

How to protect yourself from scams

Scammers of all kinds can obtain your number fraudulently or from public lists, such as a phone book. As a result, you can receive scam calls even if you have an unlisted number or have registered your number on the National Do Not Call List.

To protect yourself from scams:

NEVER give an unsolicited caller access to your computer. If you receive an unexpected phone call about your computer system’s security status, and the caller requests remote access to your computer, hang up – even if the caller claims to represent a well-known company or product.
Don’t give out personal information. Do not give out credit card or online account details over the phone, unless you made the call and the number you are calling came from a trusted source.
Protect your computer. Make sure your computer is protected with regularly updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a good firewall. But research first, and only purchase software from a source you know and trust.
Read online privacy policies. If you are considering providing personal details to a company, read their privacy policy and terms and conditions first. If you do not agree with how they will use your details, do not provide them.

Robocalls offering to consolidate your debts or lower your credit card interest rates

The CRTC has received a high volume of complaints regarding ADAD (Automated Dialing and Announcing Devices) calls, otherwise known as robocalls, offering to sell services to consumers that allegedly consolidate, reduce, or settle their debt, or lower the interest rate on credit cards.

Be smart, be skeptical, and hang up. You can often get these services for free. Call your bank directly or contact a legitimate business if you need debt consolidation or interest rate reduction services.

Because many of these calls are initiated from locations outside Canada, the CRTC is working with its international counterparts to stop these calls.

For more information, see: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/12/roycox.shtm and http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/02/afl_financial.shtm.

You can also visit the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada's Consumer Alerts for additional information.

Scammers selling anti-virus services or claiming to represent the CRTC

The CRTC is aware of two scams designed to gain remote access to Canadians’ computers.

Fake anti-virus telemarketers. These callers request remote access to your computer to try to sell you anti-virus software or services. They are not legitimate telemarketers, and do not provide a valuable product or service.
Callers falsely claiming to represent the CRTC. These callers request remote access to your computer to find and remove viruses. They are not employees of the CRTC. They want access to your personal information for the purposes of identity theft.

To report a complaint about these kinds of unwanted telemarketing calls, you can submit a complaint at www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/plt-cmp-eng or by calling 1-866-580-DNCL (3625).

Learn about …

How the fake anti-virus scam works
How the fake CRTC employee scam works
The CRTC is taking action against fake telemarketers
Think you’ve been scammed? Here’s what to do
How to prevent unwanted calls

How the fake anti-virus scam works

The anti-virus scam typically involves a scammer cold-calling you and requesting remote access to your computer. If you give them access, they claim to run a scan and discover a virus. They then apply high-pressure sales tactics to convince you to buy unnecessary anti-virus software or technical services to “fix” your computer.

These callers will tell you that you have a PC, and then change their story if you advise them that you actually have a Mac. They will even tell you that you have a computer when you don’t own one at all!

If you fall victim to this kind of telemarketing scam, you will be wasting money on a service that provides no benefit, and you might well be putting your banking and other personal information at risk.

How the fake CRTC employee scam works

This scam involves callers falsely claiming to represent the CRTC. They tell you that your computer is potentially at risk because of viruses, and request remote access to your computer to scan for and remove those viruses.

These callers do not represent the CRTC. They are trying to gain access to your computer to steal financial and other personal information for the purposes of identity theft.

The CRTC is taking action against fake telemarketers

We understand that, while some businesses offer a legitimate product or service, many callers falsely claim to provide these products or services and to represent legitimate companies or government organizations.

To help prevent this kind of telemarketing scam, the CRTC is engaged in compliance initiatives. These include:

working with telephone service providers to identify rogue telemarketers
co-operating with international regulators to develop strategies for tackling this global problem

Telemarketers that are investigated by the CRTC can incur penalties of up to $15,000 per violation.

Think you’ve been scammed? Here’s what to do

If you think you have fallen victim to a scam, that you have given remote access to your computer to a scammer, or that your computer has been hacked:

Alert your financial institution. If you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
Get qualified computer help. Seek help or advice from a qualified and reputable computer technician.
File a complaint. You can report unwanted telemarketing calls at www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/plt-cmp-eng or by calling 1-866-580-DNCL (3625).
Contact law enforcement. If you think the call might be part of a fraud scheme, contact law enforcement authorities or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (formerly PhoneBusters) or call 1-888-495-8501.

How to prevent unwanted calls

If you get a lot of unsolicited phone calls or emails, you might want to consider changing your phone number and email address.

You can also register your phone numbers with the National Do Not Call List. Using this free Federal Government service, Canadians can register their numbers to opt out of telemarketing calls and marketing faxes. To register, call 1-866-580-DNCL(3625) or visit www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca.

For more tips on cyber safety, please visit Get Cyber Safe.