Canadians face a fresh wave of scams as fraudsters seize on the Canada Post strike to try to trick victims out of their cash.

The last few weeks have seen an 91裸聊视频渆xponential91裸聊视频� rise in attempted fraud, ranging from phishing emails to deepfake phone calls, says Octavia Howell, chief information security officer at Equifax Canada.

91裸聊视频淎ny time there is a major political event, a major strike or anything like that, we91裸聊视频檒l see an uptick,91裸聊视频� she said in a phone interview.

91裸聊视频淣ot only is there a Canada post strike 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 the holidays.91裸聊视频�

Scams related to parcels and deliveries typically tick up in step with online shopping orders this time of year, but the work stoppage at Canada Post has led to even more fraud attempts amid the confusion around shipments, Howell said.

Comprehensive figures on the latest batch of scams are not yet available from Equifax Canada, but the credit bureau91裸聊视频檚 daily updates have marked the rise nonetheless.

Rather than the roughly half-dozen daily consumer fraud reports of previous increases, Equifax Canada91裸聊视频檚 investigations team is filing up to 91裸聊视频�87 in one report in one day coming from the same IP addresses,91裸聊视频� said Howell.

She called the trend 91裸聊视频渋nsidious.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e seeing exponential growth in the amount of scams that are actually happening 91裸聊视频� because, one, holidays, and then two, people aren91裸聊视频檛 able to get their shipments out.91裸聊视频�

Mail carriers walked off the job on Nov. 15, halting deliveries of letters and packages at the start of the holiday shipping season.

Canada Post cautions users that it never reaches out about a delivery via text or email unless it has been requested to.

The Crown corporation has asked Canadians to be on guard for telltale signs of a phishing scam or fraud attempt, including poor grammar, imagery inconsistent with Canada Post logos and a tracking number at odds with its standard format.

The Better Business Bureau similarly cautioned users when the strike kicked off.

91裸聊视频淲atch out for fake package delivery offers during Canada91裸聊视频檚 postal strike,91裸聊视频� the non-profit said in a release last month.

It advised potential victims to verify delivery services, avoid unsolicited shipment offers from little-known companies and check for accreditation by the bureau before selecting a service.

It also noted that scammers may send false messages claiming to be from Canada Post or another carrier asking for payment for undelivered items or offering 91裸聊视频減riority service.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淒o not click on links in unsolicited emails or texts. Instead, visit the official website of the courier service for updates,91裸聊视频� the bureau said.

Canada Post recommends customers contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre if they receive a suspicious email, text or call related to the postal service.