A new scam is circulating across Ontario, targeting Highway 407 ETR users with threatening text messages designed to look like official notices.
The fraudulent message, sent from a 289 area code commonly used in parts of the Greater Toronto Area, is the first red flag, as it doesn’t match the official number used by Highway 407 ETR. The message urges recipients to pay immediately via a shortened link and warns that failure to do so could result in credit score damage, licence plate renewal suspension by the Ministry of Transportation, and even court proceedings.
The text is also delivered as a group message, exposing the phone numbers of other recipients. This is another red flag that suggests a coordinated scam campaign.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, an agency that tracks scams nationwide, scammers may use these tactics to gain access to bank accounts, credit cards, or Social Insurance Numbers
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