There’s gotta be a way to literally zap these telephone scam artists every time they call.
Ring!
“Is this Mr. so and so?”
“Yes.”
“This is Canada Revenue Agency Investigations Branch . . .”
Zap!
“Ma’am, that hurt . . don’t do that again. I’m calling because you owe taxes to the government, and if you don’t pay immediately there will be severe penalties.”
Zap!
An Oliver woman probably wishes she could have done this last week when a supposed Microsoft representative called her to fix her ailing computer.
The woman told the Chronicle that a “hacker” contacted her and asked if she was having problems with her computer. Coincidentally she was.
The gentleman sounded very polite and genuine, and was very convincing in getting the senior to follow along with the scam.
The woman was told that a Trojan virus was infecting her computer, and because she was having problems with her email, she believed him.
After all was said and done, the charge was $700 US (more than $1,000 Cdn).
She thought that was a high price to pay to fix the problem, but she felt obligated and gave the fellow her credit card number. (Oh, no)
Fortunately, she was wise enough to call her credit card company to cancel her card because of her growing suspicion. Luckily the scam artist had not used the card before it was cancelled.
It continues to amaze the Chronicle that people are still falling for these scams. Revenue Canada and Microsoft do not make phone calls in this manner, using threats or requesting money.
When you receive a call like this, just hang up. Hopefully someone will soon invent a zapper we can use to put these scammers in their place.
Hats off
Our hats off to the RCMP officer for risking his life in an attempt to rescue the boy who fell through the ice last week.
The officer didn’t think twice about the freezing cold water; he just felt compelled to do something for fear the boy could have perished before firefighters arrived.
The RCMP is sometimes criticized for its actions in certain situations, but in the end its members are truly there to protect and serve. That’s why they joined the force.
A tip of the hat also goes to our firefighters who handled the scene with professional calm. And to the boy’s brother who, despite the emergency, had the presence of mind to flag down Charlotte Burbeck who called 9-1-1. In the end, this was a Christmas present for everyone.
