Canadians are being warned about a new wave of scam text messages promising money from a fictitious "milk settlement." These texts, which have been circulating across the country, claim that recipients are entitled to a payout related to a class-action lawsuit involving milk price fixing. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) has confirmed that these messages are indeed scams and are designed to steal personal information or financial details from unsuspecting individuals.
The CAFC notes that these types of scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making them harder to detect. They often mimic legitimate communications from government agencies or well-known companies, using realistic branding and language to trick people into clicking on malicious links or providing sensitive data. These links may lead to fake websites that look like the real thing, but are actually designed to steal usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers.
"We're seeing a definite increase in these types of phishing scams," says RCMP spokesperson Sergeant Marie-Eve Bédard. "The scammers are getting better at mimicking real organizations, and they're using current events, like the milk settlement case, to make their scams more believable." The actual milk price-fixing settlement, which concluded in 2024, involved a real class-action lawsuit against dairy companies accused of price fixing. While legitimate claims processes did occur, they have now ended, and no further payouts are being distributed.
Canadians are urged to be extremely cautious about unsolicited text messages or emails asking for personal information or financial details. Always verify the legitimacy of any message before clicking on links or providing information, and report any suspected scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
