When Janet Barnes received a phone call earlier this week, she didn’t think anything of it when she saw the familiar “519-627” local number on her caller display.
However, when she answered the call and heard a recorded message from “West Jet” claiming she had won a trip, she became suspicious.
“The call came in from a Wallaceburg phone number,” Barnes said. “This phone number belongs to a person that lives on Walnut Drive… they legitimately live there and pay to use this phone number.”
The call Barnes received is a prime example of phone number spoofing.
The scammers use software to mask their real identities by displaying a fake telephone number, sometimes using a number already belonging to a real person.
“Email (phishing) and telephone scams are common methods used by criminals to lure people into disclosing personal information such as credit card numbers and account information,” officials stated on the WestJet website.
“These scams intentionally impersonate trusted brands to leverage goodwill and avoid suspicion.”
WestJet officials say automated phone recordings are used to target a large range of phone numbers including private unlisted numbers and office extensions.
“These calls will often state that you are a valued guest and are eligible for a prize, attempting to claim the prize will put you in contact with a live operator,” WestJet officials stated.
“This operator may attempt to gain access to your personal information such as credit card numbers or account details and may become quite persistent. WestJet does not participate in any form of phone promotion or solicitation.”
Const. Renee Cowell, public information officer with the Chatham-Kent Police, said people need to be aware of these scams.
“The Chatham-Kent Police reminds everyone that if a deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is,” she said.
Cowell said if you feel that you have been the target of a suspicious email or telephone call, contact the RCMP Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501, e-mail them at info@antifraudcentre.ca, or visit their website.
