B.C. warns of 'identical' government payment website made by 'malicious actors'
The British Columbia government is warning people about a scam involving its PayBC website, where an "identical fake website" is collecting personal and credit card information.
The PayBC site gives residents a secure place to pay their bills or for services from the provincial government, but it says it has become aware of phishing attempts against users.
A statement from the government says the two sites can't be told apart, although the website addresses are different.
It says the site was created by “malicious actors” to steal personal and financial information.
The Ministry of Finance provided an example of the scam texted to a person's cellphone that says, "our automated speeding system has caught your vehicle doing 46 kilometers per hour in a 30 kilometers per hour zone."
The text then provides the fake website address, saying the person can pay the ticket without a court at that site.
A spokeswoman for the ministry says the province has never utilized an “automated speeding system,” and neither the province nor the Insurance Corporation of B.C. sends text messages to people about traffic violation tickets or payment requests.
Nanaimo RCMP also sent out a statement Monday, warning people not to fall for the “speeding ticket text scam” after receiving numerous calls from people who had received the texts about speeding in a school zone.
The fake website shares a similar logo and identical fonts with PayBC's actual site and once people click on the “pay now” button, they'll be asked to provide credit card information and their name and home address, said Const. Gary O'Brien, the media relations officer at the detachment.
“It's just another scam to get a hold of your money via your credit card. Just delete it but afterwards make sure you share the text message with friends and family so they don't fall for it,” he said in a statement.
The government said people need to be vigilant against such phishing attempts and to make sure they are in the proper pay.gov.bc.ca website address.
They say those paying on a website should never pay or offer personal information unless they have verified the legitimacy of the website.
O'Brien said “dozens of individuals” in Okanagan also received the same text, promoting Kelowna RCMP to issue a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Mar. 25, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Health minister 'deeply appreciative' of doctors but capital gains changes here to stay
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
BREAKING Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec will invest $603 million over five years to counter the decline of French in the province, French Language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge announced Sunday.
Key mediator Qatar urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a ceasefire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Campus anti-war protesters dig in across U.S. as schools, police take action
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war woke up in tents at college campuses across the United States Sunday morning planning more protests demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies accused of enabling the conflict.