2023-04-24 23:57:29
Fraudsters, like those who usurped the name of Hydro-Québec to extort money by text message from victims of power outages, monitor the news for the slightest opportunity to dip into your bank account.
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“The fraudsters are well organized. They are not targeting Hydro in particular, but will target any event that affects current affairs and sensitive chords related to money, “explains a consultant from a large computer security firm, himself a specialist in SMS. , who prefers to remain anonymous.
Money pledge
Over the past few days, many citizens have reported text messages (SMS) informing them that financial compensation has been issued by the state corporation.
The content of the short text message may differ from person to person, but always ends with a hyperlink on which people are invited to click in order to claim their compensation.
This is of course a fraud. Clicking on the link might put you in trouble and jeopardize your personal information.
Frédéric Langis received said text message, but did not take the bait.
“I saw straight away that it was fraudulent and I never thought to click on the link. But I said to myself: you really have to be low to take advantage of this situation, to take advantage of vulnerable people right following a crisis, ”he said.
Working in financial services, Frederic has had his share of fraud and identity theft training. “We get a lot of these text messages. We are aware of the thing, fortunately, ”he said.
What happens when you click?
Generally, when you click on this type of fraudulent link, you see nothing but fire.
“It takes you to a false portal. It’s super well done, you see all the logos of the banks and if you click on yours, they will ask you for your contact details, explains the consultant. The problem is that from the start, you are on a server belonging to the fraudsters. »
“They may mimic bank portals – and it’s very easy for a web developer to do – but you’re still on their server. They’re just waiting to get your information,” he says.
Really not only Hydro
“This type of phishing attempt occurs frequently, almost every week,” says Caroline Des Rosiers, of Hydro-Québec.
“This is in no way related to the hacking attempt that targeted us a few days ago,” she says. Such attempts at fraud are frequent and target customers of a host of companies, not just Hydro-Quebec.
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