(ORILLIA, ON) - The Orillia Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to advise members of the public to be aware of a text message scam.

This month, Orillia OPP were contacted by individuals who were sent a text message from whom appeared to be Service Ontario about an unpaid speed camera ticket. The text provides a link for the victim to utilize, with a goal of stealing personal and financial information.

These messages will try to incite a feeling of urgency, and police are strongly recommending that people slow the process down and verify all information that they receive before proceeding.  In the attached image, some signs to look out for to indicate that the message may be a scam include: a quick deadline, the area code of the phone number, odd grammar and spelling errors, and the use of “DMV,” rather than Service Ontario to name a few examples.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is Canada’s national, joint force anti-fraud repository whose mandate includes gathering intelligence on all types of frauds and analyzing the data that helps guide police investigations. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre also provides education and awareness on fraud prevention, to become educated on the many different types of fraud that may affect you, please visit Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.