Durham Scam Alerts
See suspicious texts, calls, emails and other scams being reported in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington and nearby communities.
Showing 27 alerts
Unsolicited job offers by text, email or Indeed message. Some need you to deposit your own money to get paid, some send you an app to install that steals your information.
An unknown number claims to be your child or grandchild with a broken phone, then comes an urgent request for an e-transfer, crypto or gift cards. Durham police call it new and prevalent.
A text says your parcel is on hold over a small unpaid fee, usually $3.07, with a link to pay. The link is a copy of the Canada Post site that takes your card details.
A text or email says you can apply for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, or claim a $3,900 one-time payment, through a link. The benefit is real. The application is not.
A caller says they are from your phone company with a free upgrade or a big discount. A real device gets ordered on your account, then they talk you into handing it back. A Freedom version chases a balance instead.
Two people in a busy retail parking lot. One asks you to pay by card in exchange for cash, the other poses as the vendor or delivery driver, watches your PIN and hands back a different card.
Durham police charged a man in September 2026 after several local women lost more than a million dollars to relationships built over years. Police believe there are more victims.
A text claiming to be ServiceOntario, your city or a "licensing authority" says you owe a parking fine or your licence will be suspended. Nobody in government texts about tickets.
A contractor says they were working nearby, spotted damage on your roof or chimney, and can fix it cheaply today. Then the real quote arrives.
A bilingual email says your RESP statement and government grant summary are ready, with a log-in link. It impersonates a real brokerage. Received in Pickering and Oshawa.
Strangers approach with a story, cheap jewellery to sell, or an unwanted hug, and slip your real chain or ring off while you are distracted.
Fake iPhones at prices that seem like a lucky find are being sold to buyers across Durham. They look real until you try to use them.
A caller pretends to be your bank鈥檚 fraud team, then sends someone to collect your card, gets you to dial a code that forwards your calls, or has you buy gold.
A full-screen warning says your computer is infected and tells you to call a support number. The number reaches a scammer.
A caller claims to be your grandchild in jail and needs bail money today. Some calls now use a cloned copy of the real grandchild's voice.
Messages about a waiting refund, a balance or an account that needs updating link to a fake CRA sign-in page that steals your details.
An online relationship built over weeks or months turns into requests for money for emergencies, visas, or investments.
A text says you owe a toll, with a deadline, a threat to your licence and a link to pay. Real 407 ETR reminders exist, so here is the 30-second check.
Three callers in a row convince you your savings are at risk and must be moved to a safe account. The safe account is theirs.
Fake buyers send e-transfer "deposit" links that steal your bank login, or claim your account needs a business upgrade to receive payment. Fake car listings demand deposits before you see the vehicle.
A caller claims to be your utility and threatens to cut your power today unless you pay right now. In Oshawa the caller is wrong before they start: Oshawa is served by Oshawa Power.
Someone you met online shows you their trading profits and offers to teach you. The platform is fake and your money is gone the moment you send it.
Texts claim you have an unpaid camera speeding ticket or a licence plate sticker refund waiting.
A crew "working in the area" offers a cheap paving or roofing job, takes a deposit, then disappears or leaves poor work.
A counterfeit letter announces a gas meter inspection with a scam phone number, or a caller claiming to be Enbridge offers monthly rebates if you update your equipment.
You are told you won a lottery or prize, but taxes or fees must be paid before it can be released, often by gift card.
A text says your licence is about to be revoked over an unpaid traffic violation and gives a short link to "review your ticket". Reported by a Durham resident, and others said they got it too.
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Community reports are reviewed before anything is published, and we remove names and contact details. Where we can, we compare reports against Durham Regional Police, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, government notices, and the companies being impersonated. Reports we cannot confirm are labelled as community reports so you can weigh them yourself. This is a community awareness board, not an official police report. If you have already tapped a link or paid, start with what to do after clicking a scam link.
No selling, no spam. Forward it to anyone who might need it.