TELUS said it is working to protect its customers from fraudulent phone calls affecting wireless and landline customers including businesses, primarily in B.C. and Alberta.
The latest scam involves ‘spoofing’, where a fraudster re-programs the caller ID signal to make it appear they are calling from a legitimate business, claiming to represent that organization, the company said in a press release Friday.
When someone picks up the scam call, an imposter on the other end of the line claims to be TELUS or another well-known organization, saying the person they called has won a prize.
Other variants of the scam ask you to press 1 to receive a prize. The caller will then try to convince the person they’ve called to hand over personal information and credit card numbers in order to collect the alleged prize. This can result in unauthorized charges to a credit card or identity theft.
The calls are fraudulent, and in no way related to TELUS or other companies the scam artists claim to be associated with.
"Consumers should never enter their credit card information when prompted to by an unknown caller or automated call. TELUS recommends customers simply hang up if they receive a call," TELUS noted in a press release.
TELUS is also urging Canadians not give out personal information over the phone unless certain they are speaking to a legitimate company. If unsure when receiving a call from someone claiming to be from a company and asking for information, TELUS recommends they either hang-up or ask for a number to call them back at directly ensure they are speaking with someone legitimate.
The TELUS fraud management centre is available to assist customers and give fraud awareness presentations.
Anyone who feels they may have given personal information to a scam artist and needs assistance securing a TELUS account, credit card numbers, or personal information, is asked to call TELUS Fraud Management at 1-877-567-2062.