Nothing appeared out of the ordinary when an official-looking email — bearing the Bell MTS name and logo — arrived in Julie Leefe’s inbox, claiming she had a new voice message.
When she clicked on a link and entered her login details, she unknowingly gave hackers access to her account and contacts, including two well-intentioned friends who ended up losing $300 each in a subsequent emergency scam.
“It looked completely legitimate,” Leefe said of the email. “I stupidly clicked. I had to put in my email address and my password, and then there was no voice message there.”
The 69-year-old Oakbank resident wants Bell MTS to send an alert to its customers.
JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Julie Leefe fell victim to a phone scam when she received an email from “Bell MTS” claiming there was a “voice email” for her.
“They don’t seem to want to warn the public,” she said. “As seniors, we’re always dealing with change. I’ve never heard of a voice memo, but you can do voice recordings. I figured, maybe, it’s a new thing.
“We have to be even more aware than we had to before.”
The disguised email containing the malicious link displayed a “no reply” Bell MTS address. It didn’t contain the kind of typos or grammatical errors Leefe is used to seeing in most phishing attempts.
Scammers will stop at nothing
Scammers are going to all kinds of lengths to steal Canadians’ personal information or hard-earned money.
One…
