Scammers began taking advantage of the long power outages caused by the ice storm to line their pockets.
• Also read: Check out our latest outage report
• Also read: Devastating Ice Storm: Here’s where to warm up in Montreal and Laval
• Also read: LIVE | Follow our special coverage of the ice
Former communications director of Sûreté du Québec Guy Lapointe wanted to warn citizens about a scam targeting Hydro-Québec customers.
“Unfortunately, scammers are faster than some failures can be recovered,” he lamented in a tweet.
“We’re sending a service to help you,” reads a screenshot. The author of the SMS asks users to click on a link to receive this sum.
It is important not to open this webpage as this could compromise your personal information.
Remember that a weather bomb fell in the south of the province on Wednesday evening, plunging hundreds of thousands of homes into darkness. It is the worst episode of freezing rain since the 1998 crisis.
Hydro-Québec hopes to reconnect three-quarters of its subscribers by Friday night.
The state-owned company warns the population to be vigilant against the risk of fraud:
- Phishing emails or text messages often share similar characteristics;
- The text contains spelling mistakes or awkward phrases;
- The sender brings up a fictitious problem;
- The sender insists on the urgency of the situation;
- The links in the emails or text messages will take you to a web page where you will be asked for personal information.
If you have any doubts about any information, you can consult the Hydro-Québec website and access your customer area.