The Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund is alerting members of fraudulent letters being sent out to beneficiaries about settlement payments.
Officials say the letters are branded with government or litigation fund logos and ask for personal and banking information to confirm their eligibility for distribution – with a promise of direct deposit or a cheque.
Litigation fund officials say both they and the two levels of government have not started to make any settlement payments and will not ask for the information by mail, e-mail or text.
They’re asking anyone who’s had recent communication that they think may have been a scam to contact their First Nation office.
The Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund is also offering tips to protect yourself:
- Do not open email from people you don’t know.
- Try reaching out to the sender directly via their official emails or phone numbers to make sure that it is legitimate.
- Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
- Look at the branding carefully.
- Scammers tend to use logos, email or postal addresses that are very similar to the legitimate senders.
- Check the communication you received carefully to see if there is a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you.
- Be careful of clicking on suspicious links. Malicious links can also come from friends
who have been compromised. - Secure your personal information.
- Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
- Resist the pressure to act immediately.
- Scammers often use urgency as a tactic to get your information quickly.
- Please verify the credibility of an organization before sharing your personal information.
***Written by Bradley Aubin