Published: Feb 18, 2020

Ameri-Can started out as a family business, and we still try our best to take care of everyone in our extended family of employees and their loved ones. We also know that every family has members who are vulnerable in some way to uses of technology that are downright dastardly. Whether it’s a grandmother on the internet, a new Canadian getting an unexpected phone call, or a youngster chatting with a friend online – scammers are taking advantage to the tune of $100 million a year.

The number of different scams now is so large that it’s impossible to even list them. While many of the old ones are still in use, many more new ones emerge day after day. So even if you’re savvy enough to avoid scams yourself, take the next opportunity you have to share some of these tips for spotting signs of a scam to others who may otherwise fall prey.

Signs of a Scam

You’ve Won! – Almost all messages of a big win are fake. Phone calls that you’ve won a cruise; emails that you’ve hit the jackpot in a lottery, among other windfall notices, are scams that will at some point try to collect personal information. Of course, if the message is from your local Lion’s Club and you remember buying a raffle ticket, you’re probably ok. Still, it’s best to double check even these message using a method not suggested by the notice. Call the number on the ticket or the club to verify.

Purchase Confirmations – This is a really sneaky one. You get an email saying that your flight is confirmed or your purchase is on the way, charged to your credit card. You know you didn’t make such a purchase, so you want details. It’s very tempting to open the attachment or click on the link. Don’t do it. Log in to your account using your browser or call the number for customer service on the back of your credit card. Chances are there was no such charge to your card, but if there was, the credit card company will tell you what to do.

Account Confirmations – In this scam, the email or text message tells you that an account has been compromised or disabled until you take some action. In most cases what they want you to do is provide your account details or other personal information. The email address may look legit, but it’s not. Again, don’t click on any links or open attachments. These messages are best simply ignored and deleted, but if you’re concerned that it might be real, use a different method (like your regular login via browser) to access your account.

Urgency – Urgency is a big part of many scams, particularly phone scams targeting older adults. One ruse is a grandchild who’s in a jam and needs money right away. Another is a credit card phone scam that asks for account details and actually sounds suspicious, but the caller accepts this and says something like, “Ok, I understand your hesitation, hang up and call the number on the back of your credit card immediately.” The problem is that the caller doesn’t actually hang up, so when you dial the number, it’s the scammer who answers.

Threats from Officials – These are usually phone calls from someone who says they are a police officer, Revenue Canada, Immigration, or other official. The caller tells you some lie and says you must pay a certain amount of trouble or else – you’ll go to jail, your bank account will be frozen, you’ll be kicked out of the country, etc. Remember that you can’t trust the caller ID number, because these can be “spoofed,” to show the actual number of the department. The fact that there is a threat that requires a payment is a tip off to the scam. If there’s a request for payment in BitCoin, gift cards, or e-transfer, you can be sure.

It’s awful that we have to be so suspicious but caution is needed to keep everyone safe.

Ameri-Can Logistics Ltd. is a trucking company servicing shipping ports, railroad depots, and communities throughout North America. Operating 24/7/365 with continuous dispatch services, businesses have relied on Ameri-Can to distribute their products to buyers in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, for three decades.