British Columbians getting tricked out of money by text message on the rise

VANCOUVER – There’s no laughing out loud for a record high number of British Columbians who are getting duped by text message scams.

Texting-related scams went up 600 per cent in 2012 compared to 2011, and $7,700 in losses from B.C. residents were reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Mark Fernandes, with B.C.’s Better Business Bureau, says common messages entice the user with a promise of a free gift card to a store, then asks the recipient to click a link and provide personal information.

Fernandes says people often wonder how they got on the “sucker list.”

He says scammers usually find cellphone numbers from Facebook or use computer programs that randomly generate phone numbers and send out text messages.

Fernandes advises that people should always be skeptical when they win something from a company or download a new app.