Sasktel and various chapters of Crime Stoppers in the province are teaming up to help customers be aware and alert when it comes to scams.
The pair are sharing tips, so customers are aware of the various online forms of fraud.
Greg Jacobs, External Communications Manager for Sasktel provides one such useful tip.
"Be aware of suspicious or unexpected text messages from unknown sources or potentially unknown sources. We recommend you don't click on the links provided."
Jacobs adds that if residents want to know if they are really getting a refund or have won a trip, they should navigate to the businesses legitimate website and follow up with them.
Additional tips include turning on multifactor authentication which Jacobs says is available for banking accounts and shopping accounts, updating your phone with new software updates and being careful about the amount and type of personal information shared online.
Jacobs describes the extent of this problem.
"At Sasktel we routinely work with the CRTC and other telecommunication providers to help prevent as much of this activity from reaching our customers as possible. Truely it is a national issue though and it's really a cat and mouse game between us and bad actors. As we come up with new ways to stop them, they come up with new ways to get around the security measures put in place."
Knowing this, Jacobs says that it's important for customers to know the basics of how to protect themselves and what to look for as they are the first point of defense.
Anyone who believes they are the victim of a scam are advised to report it to local law enforcement and the Canadian Anit Fraud Center.