Posted:
Halifax Regional Police is warning citizens about an email scam that has targeted a local organization in Halifax.
On September 28 at 10:18 a.m., police were contacted in relation to an incident that occurred yesterday. A scammer sent an email to a local organization that appeared to be from a courier company. The email advised that a delivery had been missed and directed the recipient to click on an attachment to get a shipping label. Once the attachment was opened, the computer's files were encrypted and a warning message appeared stating that the files would be released if a ransom was paid. No money was paid in this incident but the computer had to be taken in for servicing. Fraud can affect anyone so keep the following in mind. If you receive an email about a delivery that you were not expecting, contact the purported sender by phone or in-person to confirm the email's legitimacy prior to opening any attachments.
If you’ve lost money or provided personal information as a result of this or any other scam, please report the matter to your local police agency. There is no need to call police to report that you’ve been contacted in relation to this scam if you’re not a victim. You can report a scam where you haven’t been a victim to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501 or online at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/reportincident-signalerincident/index-eng.htm
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