First it was bread. Now scammers have moved on to milk.
While Canadians are still being targeted by phishing texts tied to the real bread price-fixing settlement, a new wave of fraudulent messages is making the rounds — this time falsely claiming recipients are eligible for a payout in a Canadian milk class-action lawsuit.
David Coates, 71, of Sherwood Park, Alta., was among those who received one of the deceptive texts.
"The website looked really legit and very professional. You can get sucked in quite easily."
Coates clicked the link before growing suspicious and pulling back before entering any personal information. Others were not so fortunate — at least one person who contacted CBC News said they provided their financial details and later had to cancel their credit card.
Fraud Centre Tracking Reports
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) says it has received 12 reports since March 25 of phishing texts related to the fake milk class action. Authorities caution that reported cases represent only five to ten per cent of actual fraud incidents, meaning the true number of people targeted is likely far higher.
The texts vary slightly in wording but all direct recipients to click a link leading to a professional-looking website that requests personal information and credit card details in order to "process" a supposed rebate payment.
No Such Settlement Exists
Unlike the bread price-fixing case — which involved a real and publicised settlement — there is currently no active, broadly applicable Canadian milk class-action lawsuit. The closest existing case is a $6.5-million settlement involving Canadians who purchased or consumed recalled plant-based milk linked to a listeria outbreak. That case names Danone Canada, Walmart Canada Corp., and Intact Insurance Company as defendants.
Administrators of that legitimate settlement have posted a warning on their official website clarifying that the claims process has not yet begun and that they do not send text messages.
"If you receive any SMS message requesting personal or banking information, please treat it as suspicious and do not respond."
Moran Solomon, co-founder of Concilia, the administrating body for the plant-based milk case, said the warning was posted out of an abundance of caution.
"Bad actors are trying to lure the public into giving them information," Solomon said.
A Simple Rule to Remember
Joey Zukran, a Montreal lawyer with LPC Avocats representing class members in the plant-based milk settlement, offered a blunt reminder to Canadians: no legitimate class-action lawsuit or administrator will ever ask for your banking or credit card information.
"Not the first four digits. Not the last four digits. Not any digits," he said.
Canadians who receive suspicious texts are encouraged to report them to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at antifraudcentre.ca. Do not click links, do not provide personal information, and do not enter payment details on any site reached through an unsolicited text message.
Source: CBC Edmonton. This article is based on reporting by CBC News.