Surrey RCMP is warning the public about a scam that uses the听communications application WhatsApp听in order to steal people's听private information.
Within the past few weeks, RCMP said that police have received two separate reports from fraud victims who believed that they听were听booking low-cost听plane tickets on the application. In both instances, the victims had their credit card information stolen after it was shared online. In addition,听both victims had听seen the advertisements on Punjabi language television and newspapers offering low-cost flights between India and Vancouver.听
As听they tried to book their flights, the victims听were directed to share their personal and credit card details required to make the booking via WhatsApp.听
鈥淭hese incidents are actively being investigated and police are currently looking to identify the individuals involved,鈥� says Cpl. Dan Klassen, Surrey RCMP. 鈥淭his is a new trend of note and we are bringing the details to light so that the public are aware of the scam and can take steps to protect themselves.鈥�
To avoid becoming a victim of this scam, you should take the following steps:
- Never provide personal or credit card details via mobile applications to an unknown third party
- Always book airline tickets through a secure booking website or a licensed travel agent
- 听Regularly check your credit card statement for potentially fraudulent charges
If you think you or a family member may have been the victim of a similar fraud, it is recommended that you make a report to your police of jurisdiction, to the听, and to听听补苍诲听听to protect your credit score.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or .听听
听
Read the original article here.
