Phishing and spam

Phishing is an email and text message fraud technique used to obtain the personal information of individuals in an attempt to steal their identity.

When you receive this type of communication, you are asked to provide information such as your username, password, or date of birth. It often contains an attachment or a hyperlink to a fraudulent site that looks like a real site owned by a recognized company or institution, like your bank, your credit company, a government department, etc.

Text messages from Videotron are identified with the number 445120, and not with a phone number.

Emails from Videotron always contain @videotron.com.

If our communications include links, they begin with https://videotron.com/ or liens.communications-videotron.com or https://go.videotron.com/.

When you receive a text message from Videotron, it is possible to complete the requested action without having to click on a link, simply by navigating the Videotron site.

The terms used in a phishing email or text message are generally alarmist and urge you to act quickly, like “Important message,” “Urgent,” “Alert,” etc. This technique is used by fraudsters to unsettle their victims so that they give out their personal information spontaneously as an emotional response.

Furthermore, while there are a lot of real contests on the Internet, there are also fake ones, telling you that you have won a game console, an iPad, or a cellphone. You are promised that you will receive your prize by simply providing some personal information. Sometimes, this is a scam to get your information. It’s important to be vigilant and to carefully choose the information you agree to give.

Spam can be an inconvenience. They’re not dangerous, but it’s important to never click on a link or attempt to reply to the email or text message in question. By clicking on the link, you will be redirected to an exact copy of the website on which you normally do business, and all the information you enter on that fake site will be in the hands of skilled fraudsters.

As for contests, most of the time, you don’t know the company organizing the contest, and you don’t know what they will do with the personal information you provide. The contest may be perfectly legitimate, but it may also be organized by fraudsters who will sell this information to companies, who will subsequently flood you with spam. In this case, you will never receive the promised gift.

There really isn’t any foolproof, automatic protection system. However, certain precautions can be taken to protect yourself from this type of communication. In all cases, vigilance is key!

Spam emails and text messages

• Avoid opening attachments from unknown senders. Delete the text message or email, and report the email as spam.
• If you find the content of an email or text message sent by a known sender strange or inappropriate, delete it and contact the sender another way.
• Do not include confidential information in your emails and text messages.
• Avoid entering your email address or cellphone number on a promotional website or contest. This can be a way to obtain valid information for spam campaigns.
• Avoid responding to spam, even to get off the list. The unsubscribe link can be used to validate your information. You could receive even more messages afterwards. Delete the text message or email, and mark the email as spam.

Phishing

• Do not respond to emails and text messages that require urgent or immediate action and announce an imminent consequence.
• Do not click on the suggested links, open any attachments, or share any personal information.
• Even if you know the company that sent the email or text message, avoid clicking on any links. Instead, enter the official website address directly in your web browser.
• Check the quality of writing: phishing emails and text messages often contain spelling mistakes.
• Update your software, including Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader, your antivirus, and your operating system.
• Before completing online transactions, always check the reliability of the company’s site.

If you receive a spam email, you can notify us by forwarding it, as an attachment, to the following address: spam-report@videotron.ca

If you use Videotron’s Webmail, a “Spam” button in the inbox allows you to report spam or phishing messages.

To report other types of Internet abuse, see how to report Internet hacking.

We carefully analyze reports and take action to crack down on hackers and fraudsters.