Ontarians warned of scam offering refund for licence plate sticker fees

Ontario police services are warning residents about a scam that claims to offer a refund for licence plate stickers fees.

The scam surfaced less than a week after the Ontario government announced it would be scrapping licence plate renewal fees and stickers for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds.

Last week, many Ontarians started receiving text messages from a number that claimed to be Service Ontario and advised the user to click on a link to access their $120 refund for their sticker fees.

Police are urging residents not to click on the link as this is a phishing scam.

🚨 SCAM ALERT 🚨
A Twitter follower sent us a screenshot of a text they received for a refund.@ServiceOntario doesn't send refunds through text
To see if you qualify for a licence plate sticker refund visit https://t.co/EbzUgROwDy . If so, they will mail it to your home. pic.twitter.com/B2BkSkAFX6

— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) February 28, 2022

Service Ontario posted a tweet on Thursday warning about the scam. The tweet said refund cheques will be mailed starting in late March and anyone who has received a text message should report it to police.

❗Phishing scam alert ❗

If you receive a message offering you a refund for licence plate sticker fees – it’s a scam.

Refund cheques will be mailed starting in late March. If you receive this message, report it to police and/or call @canantifraud at 1-888-495-8501. pic.twitter.com/KPwbXctBjb

— ServiceOntario (@ServiceOntario) March 3, 2022

Niagara police say they have received reports about the scam and residents are reminded not to click on links in any unsolicited or suspicious texts or emails.

Const. Phil Gavin says if you are skeptical about a message, trust your intuition. Gavin suggests contacting a trusted friend or family member to help prevent victimization.