OTTAWA, June, 21, 2013 — Public Safety Canada has recently noted an increase in the reported number of fraudulent calls to Canadians by someone claiming to work for the Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC).
Impersonating a CCIRC employee, the fraudster calls unsuspecting Canadians with false claims about their computers, stating they have a virus, or that some credentials need to be verified. The fraudster then offers to repair the computer over the Internet for a fee, either by installing software or obtaining remote access to the computer. If remote access is granted, the fraudster has the capability of installing malware, creating a backdoor access, or obtaining financial or other sensitive information stored on the device.
While CCIRC employees may call individuals working for organizations that fall within Canada's critical infrastructure sectors; under no circumstance would CCIRC request remote access to their computer.
As a reminder, the Government of Canada's national public awareness campaign on cyber security, Get Cyber Safe, provides Canadians with the information and tools they need to stay safe while online, including how to detect scams and fraud.
The Get Cyber Safe website has detailed tips and useful resources to help Canadians protect themselves and their families against online threats. Please visit www.getcybersafe.gc.ca for more information.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) also offers useful information on preventing various scams and frauds at: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/index-eng.htm
We also strongly encourage Canadians to report such instances of fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. More information on how to report fraud is available at: http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or by calling 1-888-495-8501.
We hope these resources will help Canadians remain cautious around unsolicited phone calls and when asked to provide personal information, or grant remote access to their computer.
For more information on the alert issued by the CCIRC please visit: AL13-002: Telephone Impersonation of the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre.
