The City of Oshawa is notifying residents and business and property owners of a text message scam offering money and an automated rebate from city council.
“These text messages are not from the City of Oshawa or the Region of Durham. The city will not contact you via text message,” said a notice from Oshawa.
A similar scam was reported by Whitby a few days ago [see Related Story below].
Oshawa reminded residents and business and property owners to be careful and protect themselves from potential scams. In a suspicious situation where a party claims to represent the city, always err on the side of caution. Protect yourself by:
- Contacting Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311 to confirm if the text message, phone call or visit is legitimate and made on behalf of the City of Oshawa;
- Asking for identification if someone comes to your door or business. All city and regional employees and authorized contractors carry photo ID; and
- Not providing payment or personal information (e.g., banking information, password).
If you suspect fraud, you can report it to Durham Region Police Service (905-579-1520) or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501), a national service jointly operated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police and Competition Bureau.
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