Latest news with #Horncastle
BBC News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Padlocked petrol station in Horncastle finally set to open
A petrol station that has been out of operation behind a padlocked fence for months is due to open later this View Garage in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, closed in February 2023 and a new forecourt and a convenience store were built on the they have been standing empty since that work was completed late last now says it expects to open the petrol station soon. Philip Roberts, who represents Horncastle on Lincolnshire County Council, said: "[People] all asked the same question – 'When is it going to open?'"Currently, Horncastle has only one working petrol station when it used to have three."There has been no correspondence from Asda on the delay despite attempts to contact them."Resident Shelia Ellis, 86, said: "I think it's a waste of money, standing there doing nothing."And Malc Dean, 85, who also lives nearby, said: "It needs to be open. There's only one filling station in Horncastle now."An Asda spokesperson said: "Having acquired and opened more than 470 stores since 2023, we're now looking forward to opening more stores across the UK later this year, including in Horncastle." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mail scams are still targeting Canadians even today – here's what to watch for
As a compliance and anti-fraud professional, Amber D. Scott is no stranger to scams. But even she was surprised to find one waiting in her community mailbox, addressed directly to her. The letter purported to be from Ledger, a maker of cryptocurrency hardware wallets, asking her to scan a QR code to enable a new security feature. If she didn't complete the setup by July 30, the letter says she could lose access to her cryptocurrency. Scott, chairperson of Outlier Compliance Group, says the letter had several hallmarks of legitimacy at first glance. It contained no obvious spelling mistakes, listed devices a recipient might own, included brand logos and provided a signature. It also created a sense of urgency by imposing a deadline, she says. 'There's likely a higher open rate when you get a piece of mail addressed to you,' she added, whereas it's easier to delete an email. The scam Scott encountered is part of a growing trend of increasingly sophisticated fraud targeting Canadians, sometimes even through old-fashioned mail. While many scams have moved online, experts warn that physical letters can appear highly convincing and prey on urgency or fear. Canadians lost over $342 million to fraud in the first six months of 2025, according to Jeff Horncastle, client and communications outreach officer for the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). Roughly $827,000 of that was a result of mail fraud. In 2024, investment fraud — including cryptocurrency scams — was among the top three fraud types reported to the CAFC, accounting for more than $310 million in losses. While cyber-enabled fraud accounts for about 75 per cent of reported losses to the CAFC, the organization has noted an increase in certain types of mail fraud, such as foreign money offers which include inheritance letters. Mail scams continue to deceive Canadians because they look official, Horncastle says. Printed letters often mimic the formatting and logos of those they're impersonating, and they can include real details, including your name and contact information. Fraudsters may also lure victims with promises of rewards or large amounts of money via what appears to be formal communications, he says. Scott says her approach to anything cryptocurrency related is to assume it's a scam, and then try to disprove that hypothesis. She didn't scan the QR code as advised, and suspects it would have led to a fake Ledger site asking her to download information or enter private keys or seed phrases (a crypto wallet recovery passcode) that would give scammers access to cryptocurrency. Or, it might automatically download malware that steals crypto automatically, she says. Horncastle similarly recommends Canadians not to scan QR codes received through unsolicited messages, which include letters in the mail. Always contact the company or agency by finding their official contact information first — outside of what appears in the letter. When doing so, Scott recommends searchers avoid any websites that don't look familiar. 'People can be less critical when they're evaluating Google search results,' she said. To debunk the scam, Scott also searched online for the suggested 'Ledger transaction check' alongside the word 'scam' and quickly found a warning from Ledger itself. The company confirmed it does not send physical letters to customers, suggesting such scams have circulated before. The scams may possibly be related to a previous data breach involving customer names and addresses, Scott says. She recommends others also search for two related terms + 'scam' when receiving suspicious communications. To break the sense of urgency scams create, Scott recommends taking a beat and talking to other people about what has been received — or find other ways to reflect on how to respond. It will decrease a sense of agitation that could spur a quick reaction. 'This is the challenge of our times,' she said. 'Figuring out what's real and true.' If you suspect a scam, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
11-07-2025
- Business
Got a weird text message? 'Smishing' scams likely rising because of AI, experts warn
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says so-called smishing attempts appear to be on the rise, thanks in part to new technologies that allow for co-ordinated bulk attacks. Smishing is more than likely increasing with help from artificial intelligence tools that can craft convincing messages or scour data from security breaches to uncover new targets, according to the centre's spokesperson, Jeff Horncastle. Though the centre has actually received fewer fraud reports in the first six months of 2025, Horncastle says that can be misleading because so few people actually alert the centre to incidents. The warning comes days after the Competition Bureau sent an alert about the tactic because, it says, many people are seeing more suspicious text messages. Smishing is a sort of portmanteau of SMS and phishing, in which a text message is used to try to get the target to click on a link and provide personal information. The ruse comes in many forms but often involves a message that purports to come from a real organization or business urging immediate action to address an alleged problem. WATCH | RBC customer on the hook for $14K after bank investigator scam: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? It could be about an undeliverable package, a suspended bank account or news of a tax refund. Horncastle says it differs from more involved scams such as a text invitation to call a supposed job recruiter, who then tries to extract personal or financial information by phone. Nevertheless, he says a text scam might be quite sophisticated since today's fraudsters can use artificial intelligence to scan data leaks for personal details that bolster the hoax, or use AI writing tools to help write convincing text messages. In the past, part of our messaging was always: watch for spelling mistakes. It's not always the case now, he said. Now, this message could be coming from another country where English may not be the first language but because the technology is available, there may not be spelling mistakes like there were a couple of years ago. The Competition Bureau warns against clicking on suspicious links and forwarding texts to 7726 (SPAM), so that the cellular provider can investigate further. It also encourages people to delete smishing messages, block the number and ignore texts even if they ask to reply with STOP or NO. Horncastle says the centre received 886 reports of smishing in the first six months of 2025, up to June 30. That's trending downward from 2,546 reports in 2024, which was a drop from 3,874 in 2023. That too, was a drop in reports from 7,380 in 2022. But those numbers don't quite tell the story, he says. We get a very small percentage of what's actually out there. And specifically when we're looking at phishing or smishing, the reporting rate is very low. So generally we say that we estimate that only five to 10 per cent of victims report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Horncastle says it's hard to say for sure how new technology is being used, but he notes AI is a frequent tool for all sorts of nefarious schemes such as manipulated photos, video and audio. It's more than likely increasing due to different types of technology that's available for fraudsters, Horncastle says of smishing attempts. WATCH | Scammer's paradise: How AI chatbots make money: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? So we would discuss AI a lot where fraudsters now have that tool available to them. It's just reality, right? Where they can craft phishing messages and send them out in bulk through automation through these highly sophisticated platforms that are available. The Competition Bureau's deceptive marketing practices directorate says an informed public is the best protection against smishing. The bureau is constantly assessing the marketplace and through our intelligence capabilities is able to know when scams are on the rise and having an immediate impact on society, said deputy commissioner Josephine Palumbo. That's where these alerts come in really, really handy. She adds that it's difficult to track down fraudsters who sometimes use prepaid SIM cards to shield their identity when targeting victims. Since SIM cards lack identification verification, enforcement agencies like the Competition Bureau have a hard time in actually tracking these perpetrators down, Palumbo said. Fraudsters can also spoof phone numbers, making it seem like a text has originated with a legitimate agency such as the Canada Revenue Agency, Horncastle adds. They might choose a number that they want to show up randomly or if they're claiming to be a financial institution, they may make that financial institutions' number show up on the call display, he said. We've seen [that] with the CRA and even the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, where fraudsters have made our phone numbers show up on victims' call display.
Hamilton Spectator
11-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Fraud experts warn of smishing scams made easier by artificial intelligence, new tech
If it seems like your phone has been blowing up with more spam text messages recently, it probably is. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says so-called smishing attempts appear to be on the rise, thanks in part to new technologies that allow for co-ordinated bulk attacks. The centre's communications outreach officer Jeff Horncastle says the agency has actually received fewer fraud reports in the first six months of 2025, but that can be misleading because so few people actually alert the centre to incidents. He says smishing is 'more than likely increasing' with help from artificial intelligence tools that can craft convincing messages or scour data from security breaches to uncover new targets. The warning comes as the Competition Bureau sent a recent alert about the tactic because it says many people are seeing more suspicious text messages. Smishing is a sort of portmanteau of SMS and phishing in which a text message is used to try to get the target to click on a link and provide personal information. The ruse comes in many forms but often involves a message that purports to come from a real organization or business urging immediate action to address an alleged problem. It could be about an undeliverable package, a suspended bank account or news of a tax refund. Horncastle says it differs from more involved scams such as a text invitation to call a supposed job recruiter, who then tries to extract personal or financial information by phone. Nevertheless, he says a text scam might be quite sophisticated since today's fraudsters can use artificial intelligence to scan data leaks for personal details that bolster the hoax, or use AI writing tools to help write convincing text messages. 'In the past, part of our messaging was always: watch for spelling mistakes. It's not always the case now,' he says. 'Now, this message could be coming from another country where English may not be the first language but because the technology is available, there may not be spelling mistakes like there were a couple of years ago.' The Competition Bureau warns against clicking on suspicious links and forwarding texts to 7726 (SPAM), so that the cellular provider can investigate further. It also encourages people to delete smishing messages, block the number and ignore texts even if they ask to reply with 'STOP' or 'NO.' Horncastle says the centre received 886 reports of smishing in the first six months of 2025, up to June 30. That's trending downwards from 2,546 reports in 2024, which was a drop from 3,874 in 2023. That too, was a drop in reports from 7,380 in 2022. But those numbers don't quite tell the story, he says. 'We get a very small percentage of what's actually out there. And specifically when we're looking at phishing or smishing, the reporting rate is very low. So generally we say that we estimate that only five to 10 per cent of victims report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.' Horncastle says it's hard to say for sure how new technology is being used, but he notes AI is a frequent tool for all sorts of nefarious schemes such as manipulated photos, video and audio. 'It's more than likely increasing due to different types of technology that's available for fraudsters,' Horncastle says of smishing attempts. 'So we would discuss AI a lot where fraudsters now have that tool available to them. It's just reality, right? Where they can craft phishing messages and send them out in bulk through automation through these highly sophisticated platforms that are available.' The Competition Bureau's deceptive marketing practices directorate says an informed public is the best protection against smishing. 'The bureau is constantly assessing the marketplace and through our intelligence capabilities is able to know when scams are on the rise and having an immediate impact on society,' says deputy commissioner Josephine Palumbo. 'That's where these alerts come in really, really handy.' She adds that it's difficult to track down fraudsters who sometimes use prepaid SIM cards to shield their identity when targeting victims. 'Since SIM cards lack identification verification, enforcement agencies like the Competition Bureau have a hard time in actually tracking these perpetrators down,' Palumbo says. Fraudsters can also spoof phone numbers, making it seem like a text has originated with a legitimate agency such as the Canada Revenue Agency, Horncastle adds. 'They might choose a number that they want to show up randomly or if they're claiming to be a financial institution, they may make that financial institutions' number show up on the call display,' he says. 'We've seen (that) with the CRA and even the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, where fraudsters have made our phone numbers show up on victims' call display.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fraud experts warn of smishing scams made easier by artificial intelligence, new tech
If it seems like your phone has been blowing up with more spam text messages recently, it probably is. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says so-called smishing attempts appear to be on the rise, thanks in part to new technologies that allow for co-ordinated bulk attacks. The centre's communications outreach officer Jeff Horncastle says the agency has actually received fewer fraud reports in the first six months of 2025, but that can be misleading because so few people actually alert the centre to incidents. He says smishing is 'more than likely increasing' with help from artificial intelligence tools that can craft convincing messages or scour data from security breaches to uncover new targets. The warning comes as the Competition Bureau sent a recent alert about the tactic because it says many people are seeing more suspicious text messages. Smishing is a sort of portmanteau of SMS and phishing in which a text message is used to try to get the target to click on a link and provide personal information. The ruse comes in many forms but often involves a message that purports to come from a real organization or business urging immediate action to address an alleged problem. It could be about an undeliverable package, a suspended bank account or news of a tax refund. Horncastle says it differs from more involved scams such as a text invitation to call a supposed job recruiter, who then tries to extract personal or financial information by phone. Nevertheless, he says a text scam might be quite sophisticated since today's fraudsters can use artificial intelligence to scan data leaks for personal details that bolster the hoax, or use AI writing tools to help write convincing text messages. 'In the past, part of our messaging was always: watch for spelling mistakes. It's not always the case now,' he says. 'Now, this message could be coming from another country where English may not be the first language but because the technology is available, there may not be spelling mistakes like there were a couple of years ago.' The Competition Bureau warns against clicking on suspicious links and forwarding texts to 7726 (SPAM), so that the cellular provider can investigate further. It also encourages people to delete smishing messages, block the number and ignore texts even if they ask to reply with 'STOP' or 'NO.' Horncastle says the centre received 886 reports of smishing in the first six months of 2025, up to June 30. That's trending downwards from 2,546 reports in 2024, which was a drop from 3,874 in 2023. That too, was a drop in reports from 7,380 in 2022. But those numbers don't quite tell the story, he says. 'We get a very small percentage of what's actually out there. And specifically when we're looking at phishing or smishing, the reporting rate is very low. So generally we say that we estimate that only five to 10 per cent of victims report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.' Horncastle says it's hard to say for sure how new technology is being used, but he notes AI is a frequent tool for all sorts of nefarious schemes such as manipulated photos, video and audio. 'It's more than likely increasing due to different types of technology that's available for fraudsters,' Horncastle says of smishing attempts. 'So we would discuss AI a lot where fraudsters now have that tool available to them. It's just reality, right? Where they can craft phishing messages and send them out in bulk through automation through these highly sophisticated platforms that are available.' The Competition Bureau's deceptive marketing practices directorate says an informed public is the best protection against smishing. 'The bureau is constantly assessing the marketplace and through our intelligence capabilities is able to know when scams are on the rise and having an immediate impact on society,' says deputy commissioner Josephine Palumbo. 'That's where these alerts come in really, really handy.' She adds that it's difficult to track down fraudsters who sometimes use prepaid SIM cards to shield their identity when targeting victims. Currently on hiatus A review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe. 'Since SIM cards lack identification verification, enforcement agencies like the Competition Bureau have a hard time in actually tracking these perpetrators down,' Palumbo says. Fraudsters can also spoof phone numbers, making it seem like a text has originated with a legitimate agency such as the Canada Revenue Agency, Horncastle adds. 'They might choose a number that they want to show up randomly or if they're claiming to be a financial institution, they may make that financial institutions' number show up on the call display,' he says. 'We've seen (that) with the CRA and even the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, where fraudsters have made our phone numbers show up on victims' call display.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025.
