[AIRLINE] WestJet Warns Customers of Credit Card Scam

We recently wrote about a credit card scam happening to RBC Reward customers.

Now it is WestJet’s turn to fall victim. WestJet customers have been targeted by telephone scams. Apparently con artists have been pretending to be from WestJet and WestJet Vacations by calling random phone numbers telling people that they won a prize for being a loyal customer. Sound familiar? You probably may have heard a similar situation with other companies too.

Basically, the culprits tell their victims they require a credit card number to cover fees associated with claiming the prize. This type of scam has been going on for years and it probably won’t stop because there are still people who fall victim to such scams.

As a result, WestJet issued a warning to not to give out credit card information or other personal information to people claiming to represent the company.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Here are some pointers for you if you encounter a similar situation:

1) If you win a prize, you should not have to pay anything to receive the prize. Think about the lottery ticket, if you win the lotto, no one is going to ask you to front a fee to pick up your winnings.

2) Never give out personal information to people who call you, unless you recognize the number. If you need to give out personal information, then you be the one who initiates the call so that you know who you are calling.

3) If you ever feel that you came across such a call, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.