Hundreds of people in Canada have allegedly been defrauded out of millions of dollars by two Toronto residents, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The couple, who are facing criminal charges, reportedly used technology to conceal their phone number as a way to pose as a bank, government agency or member of a police force to trick victims into handing over their savings.
RCMP said 29-year-old Chakib Mansouri and 31-year-old Majdouline Alouah defrauded at least 570 people out of millions of dollars.
The scam allegedly utilized a technique known as caller ID spoofing, in which a person falsifies the phone number they are calling from with the intention of enticing a victim to answer the phone.
A variety of other different schemes were also reportedly used, including phishing and SMS phishing (called smishing), RCMP said.
The exact monetary amount obtained by the couple through the alleged scheme has not yet been revealed.
The couple made the scam phone calls using iSpoof.cc, a website designed to display a false caller ID, police said. Though the website boasts around 38,000 subscribers, Mansouri and Alouah are believed to be in the top 50 most active users worldwide.
Search warrants were executed by the Ontario RCMP's cybercrime investigative team in Toronto at a residence that belonged to both suspects.
Numerous items were reportedly retrieved including electronic devices, which police said will be analyzed to uncover possible further crimes.
The number of victims impacted by the scheme is expected to increase.
Mansouri and Alouah have been jointly charged with several crimes including fraud, money laundering and unauthorized possession of credit card data, among other fraud-related charges.
Both suspects are scheduled to appear in court remotely on Friday.
"The impact of this type of cybercrime has devastating impacts on our families and communities," said Lina Dabit, the inspector in charge of Toronto's RCMP cybercrime investigative team.
"I encourage all Canadians to help protect themselves by learning to be cyber safe," she said.
What to do if you've been scammed
The Ontario government has said scammers will often attempt to earn a victim's trust by posing as an established person, institution or business, like a family member, utility company or service provider.
Officials have warned Canadians to be wary of any digital or phone request for personal or financial information.
Scams can come in all forms including compromised links, text messages, phone calls, emails, social media posts and QR codes.
The Ontario government recommends people ignore emails from unknown senders, do not open attachments or third-party links from from unfamiliar parties and be wary of upfront fees.
You should never share sensitive information over text or provide personal, credit card or online account details to unconfirmed persons.
Legitimate websites are generally encrypted and will protect your details. The Ontario government said secure websites use "https:" instead of "http:" in the URL and are likely to feature a closed padlock or unbroken key icon at the bottom right corner of the browser window.
Reporting a scam
Victims of a scam are advised by the Ontario government to immediately stop communicating with the scammer and update all of their personal accounts. This includes changing online passwords, notifying your bank and locking your credit cards.
The scam should then be reported to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Ontario officials recommend all records of the fraud or scam be submitted to authorities, including any communication with the scammer, financial statements, receipts, contracts and contact information or profiles used by the scammer.
