New phishing scam on the rise through texts

More than one million homes and businesses in Alberta are now eligible for electricity rebates thanks to the Alberta government. The Electricity Rebate Program will provide $150 in total energy rebates with $50 for three consecutive months all through energy retailers. With good news also comes those who see an opportunity. Wes Lafortune, the Media and Communications Specialist with The Better Business Bureau of southern Alberta and East Kootenay says a new variation of a phishing scam is making the rounds for the rebate program through unsolicited texts.

“Be very skeptical is the first thing. Be skeptical about the message of the information. Don’t click on links is a rule. Those scammers are looking to grab personal and banking information. It’s a message we constantly repeat, but people still fall for it. Some people- a small number. That’s really what scammers are doing. They’re sending out thousands and thousands of these messages trying to just get a few people that they can respond and to gather their personal information.”

To report a scam like this one visit the BBB Scam Tracker website https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker