The government of Newfoundland and Labrador has issued alerts regarding various scams circulating before the holiday season. Two public advisories have been released since December 4, cautioning the public about fraudulent attempts to acquire personal information.
One of the scams involves a deceptive text message impersonating MyGovNL, directing recipients to click on a link to a counterfeit website where they are asked to provide personal details. Mike Goosney, the minister overseeing the Office of the Chief Information Officer, emphasized that the government would never request information through a link, as it could lead to unauthorized access to financial accounts.
According to Goosney, scammers can exploit personal information obtained through the text message to gain entry into financial accounts, potentially causing significant financial harm. Recipients are advised to forward any suspicious text messages to 7726, delete the message, block the number, and report the incident to both local law enforcement and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
The second scam involves fraudulent telephone calls claiming to be on behalf of Premier Tony Wakeham, promising a senior’s bonus in exchange for personal information. Goosney stressed the importance of vigilance, urging individuals to delete such calls if they seem too good to be true and to inform authorities promptly.
Individuals who receive such phone calls are urged to hang up immediately without disclosing any information and report the incident to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Reporting scams to the RNC can be done online or by calling 709-729-8000, while reports to the RCMP can be made by contacting the local detachment or calling 1-800-709-7267. The government is actively monitoring these scams and is committed to increasing public awareness and education on scam prevention.