Fort St. John RCMP are advising residents to be aware of a recent text message scam reported in Kelowna, Kamloops, and Nanaimo.
While no cases have been reported locally, according to Cst. Chad Neustaeter, the public is being urged to remain vigilant.
In these incidents, unsolicited text messages falsely claim to be from the RCMP, stating that they are unable to deliver court documents. Recipients are instructed to click a link to reschedule a court date.
The deceptive messages include the Canada logo, a Canadian flag, and the RCMP logo to make them appear legitimate.
“The RCMP will never ask for personal information through a text message or email,” says Sgt. Laura Pollock, Kelowna RCMP Media Relations Officer. “Scammers have gone to great lengths to create this message that looks like a legitimate notification, but don’t be fooled and delete the message immediately.”
The RCMP is urging the public to share the warning with family and friends, especially those who may be more vulnerable and unaware of the dangers posed by fraudulent text messages.
Those who have fallen victim to a fraud or scam, are encouraged to file a report with their local RCMP detachment, and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.