Fraud Awareness & Prevention

How to protect yourself from email, messaging & phone scams

With the number of bad actors out there using new ways to trick you, it can be difficult to know who or what to trust. Take a moment to read through some of the ways scammers are trying to take advantage and, more importantly, how to defend yourself from these attacks.


What is Phishing?

Phishing is an attack where the actor attempts to collect personal data by getting you to reveal information, such as credit card numbers, banking information, or passwords, by either pretending to be a legitimate organization or by employing fear taticts such as threatening the target.

How do I protect myself?
  • Never click on a link in a message or email that you did not request
  • Never provide personal information. Remember: If they are contacting you they should already have your personal information on file

Reminder Notice

Dear User,

We are upgrading our E-MAIL database at the moment so you are required to Upgrade your account as soon as possible in order to get the New Mail Features because you are using the old version which will be Disabled in 24hrs.

CLICK HERE TO UPGRADE THE NEW VERSION

All upgraded users will have an additional 10GB to enjoy the new service.

NB: Failure to upgrade once you receive this mail will lead to email deactivation and it takes few hours to get the upgrade completed

What is Spear Phishing (SMS/Email Attack)?

Much like phishing, the bad actor will send a message to their target. However, this message may contain information about the target which was collected using publically available information. Often they will provide details which may seem personal, like a password that has been compromised, and claim they have access to private information which they will send to your contacts or to the greater internet.

How do I protect myself?
  • Do not respond to the message
  • The reality in this case is that they don’t have access to your device, they simply gleaned the included information from a data breach
  • If the contact is known to you, notify them directly that their account has been compromised as most victims are unaware of the breach

Password Compromised

Hello Dave,

My name is Hal and I work in IT for your company. It seems your password was leaked on a black market form. This means you must do a master password reset for all your corporate logins. Don't worry, we have an easy way to do this.

Just click on this link, type in your password and we'll take care of everything else.

You have 24 hours to reset your passwords. Failure to do so will result in you being locked out of all your accounts.

What is a One-ring scam?

One-ring calls are a form of phishing. The actor will attempt to call you and immediately hang up during the first initial ring, which leaves you with a missed phone call. If you call back you risk being connected to a number outside of the province which may result in connection fees and per-minute fees being charged to your monthly statement.

How do I protect myself?
  • Do not call back numbers you do not recognize
  • Set up your voicemail so people can leave a message for call back in case it is a legitimate call
  • Search the number calling you online
What is Call Spoofing?

Call spoofing, also known as neighbouring, is when the actor changes the caller ID info to make the call appear to come from someone else. You may get calls from people you don’t know complaining that your number has called them and is being used to perpetrate a scam.

Bad actors utilize call spoofing as people are more likely to answer local calls then to pick up for foreign area codes, reaching a greater number of people increases the odds of success that someone will fall for the scam.

How do I protect myself?
  • Do not call back numbers you do not recognize
  • If your number is being spoofed this does not mean your device or number is compromised. Numbers being spoofed are more often than not selected at random and does not indicate someone targeting you directly.
  • If confronted with people calling you claiming your number has contacted them, politely explain your number is being spoofed. Most people will understand. Call spoofing campaigns are often short lived as they change numbers frequently.

While it may be satisfying to engage scammers and give them a piece of your mind, it is not advisable to do so. Doing so may increase the volume of calls you receive. Your best course of action is to hang up and block the number.

What do I do if I lose my phone?

Contact Tbaytel immediately to advised us that your phone is not in your possession. We will suspend your service so the device will be unable to make/receive calls, SMS or data. If you have access to an unused phone bring it to Tbaytel so we can provide a new SIM card for free and move your number over to this device so you can stay connected. Our team will also review your account and provide advice for your next step.

If you believe your device was stolen it would be advisable to add it to the National Blacklist. Once added to the blacklist, your device will no longer work with any participating Canadian mobile provide. A police incident report will be required to add a phone to the blacklist.

I found a phone, how can I return it to the owner?

Bring the phone to Tbaytel, we will confirm if the device was connected to our services and if the owner can be contacted. If so, we will take the device and return it to the owner. No personal information will be provided to the person who found the device.

How do I protect myself?

Steps for protecting your device when lost/stolen need to be completed before a device is missing.

  • Add a passcode to your device
  • Set up device tracking within your phone settings
  • Contact Tbaytel as soon as you know your device is lost
Employee Impersonation

Tbaytel employees may have to enter a property in order to install services, or a representative may contact you via phone or email. Some bad actors have impersonated Tbaytel employees in order to gain access to areas where they would be unwelcome, or called pretending to be Tbaytel representative asking for personal information.

How do I protect myself?
  • Tbaytel employees are required to have their employee ID visible at all times
  • A Tbaytel employee is required to show their ID when requested
  • Tbaytel will not communicate missed payments or credits via SMS
Social Media Awareness

Most social media platforms require no identification when signing up. Bad actors are able to add any name, personal information and images they please, including items stolen from other users. Your friend's accounts can also be compromised without their knowledge.

How do I protect myself?
  • Do not respond to messages from people you don't know
  • Set up 2-factor authentication for added account protection
  • If you know the person, but they are acting out of character, or asking you to click a link, contact them through other means and verify if it is actually them
Software Updates

Always keep your device software up to date. These updates provide added security or fixes to your device which is meant to keep you safe.

Protection

It is wise to use built in protection for all your devices, such as passcodes, complex and long passwords, and 2-factor authentication when available.

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