Scammers pose as BC casinos to get victims' financial information
A series of online scams has been circulating where fraudsters pose as BC casinos to trick people into giving them financial details. The BC Lottery Corporation is warning the public about deceptive fraudulent posts and ads on social media in a media release issued, March 4. The...
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A series of online scams has been circulating where fraudsters pose as BC casinos to trick people into giving them financial details.
The BC Lottery Corporation is warning the public about deceptive fraudulent posts and ads on social media in a media release issued, March 4.
The ads include logos and pictures of local casinos and offer players bonuses and promotions if they register with their financial information online.
The lottery corporation said none of these sites are associated with any official gambling body, and PlayNow.com
https://www.playnow.com/
is the only legal gambling site in BC.
The lottery corporation and casinos are working to get the posts removed but warn British Columbians to be cautious because these scams are predatory and sophisticated.
READ MORE: How BCLC helps problem gamblers kick the habit
https://infotel.ca/newsitem/how-bclc-helps-problem-gamblers-kick-the-habit/it102524
Official gambling sites or casinos will never ask for social insurance numbers, credit card numbers or banking information in order for someone to collect a prize. Another sign that something is a scam is if the site asks for taxes or fees to be paid on the prize. There are no fees or taxes on prizes in Canada.
British Columbians should be wary of any website or app that asks for financial information, and report any suspected scams, the lottery corporation said.
If people are unsure whether a site is legitimate they're advised to contact the lottery corporation at 1-866-815-0222 or online
https://corporate.bclc.com/customer-support/contact-us.html
at PlayNow.com.
https://www.playnow.com/
Anyone who suspects something is a scam can report the activity to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online here
https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm
or at 1-888-495-8501.
People can also report these scam posts directly to the social media platform where they see them.
If someone has been the victim of a scam the anti-fraud centre advises they contact local police.
Click here
https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/protect-protegez-eng.htm#a8
for tips on how to avoid being scammed.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas
mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca
or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor
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