How to spot text message scams [Video]

An Ontario man thought he got some good news when he received a text message offering a $30 gift for being a loyal Giant Tiger customer.

“I do go to that store so I clicked on the link and it said it was a customer appreciation award they were going to give people,” Mark Martin, of Simcoe, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.

When Martin clicked on the text’s link, he said it instructed him to sign into his bank account and provide his banking details first before he could receive the e-transfer.

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The link took him to a website with a list of Canadian banks, including his. That’s when Martin said he became concerned and realized it was a scam.

“The banking page was identical to my bank, but when they get down to asking for your banking information and personal information that was a red flag right there,” said …