Happy Thanksgiving, Comox Valley.
This weekend starts the busy shopping season. Scammers know it too.
"Your parcel is on hold. Pay $1.99 to redeliver." "CRA refund waiting. Confirm your details." "Your bank account is locked. Tap here."
These texts land on phones across Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland every week. Shop owners get them. Office managers get them. The front desk gets them.
A text feels personal. People tap faster than they would on an email. That's why it works.
Why small businesses get hit
Most small teams use their own phones for work. The same phone holds the bank app, Microsoft 365, the till app and the family group chat.
One tap on the wrong link can hand over a password. With that password, a scammer can read email, send fake invoices to your customers, or change where payments go.
It doesn't take a big company to be a target. It just takes one busy afternoon.
Four habits that stop most scam texts
- Don't tap the link. Open the courier, bank or CRA app yourself. Or type the website in by hand.
- Real agencies don't ask for gift cards, crypto or a payment link in a text. The CRA won't. Canada Post won't. Your bank won't.
- Urgency is the tell. "Today only" or "account locked" means stop. Ask a coworker. Check before you act.
- Report it, then delete it. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). Report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
Print these four lines. Tape them by the till or the coffee machine. It works.
If someone already tapped and typed a password
Don't panic. Move fast.
- Change that password right away, from a different device.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for email, banking and Microsoft 365.
- Tell your bank if any card or banking detail was entered.
- Call your IT provider. They can check for strange forwarding rules or sign-ins you don't recognise.
The first hour matters most.
Shop this: tools that make stolen passwords useless
For owners and bookkeepers who approve payments, a physical security key is the best upgrade. Even if someone steals the password, they can't sign in without the key in your hand.
These work with Microsoft 365, Google accounts and most password managers:
- YubiKey 5 NFC on Amazon.ca — USB-A plus tap-to-phone.
- YubiKey 5C NFC on Amazon.ca — for newer laptops and phones with USB-C.
- YubiKey 5C on Amazon.ca — USB-C, stays in the laptop.
- Browse all YubiKey security keys on Amazon.ca
Buy two. Keep one as a backup in a safe place.
As an Amazon Associate, Human Touch IT earns from qualifying purchases. Prices change, so check the current price on Amazon.ca.
Old phone or laptop? That's a risk too
Devices that no longer get security updates are easier to break into. If a work laptop is stuck on Windows 10 or won't update, it's time to replace it.
You don't need to buy new. A Staples Preferred refurbished business laptop is a solid, lower-cost option. It's tested, cleaned and comes with a warranty.
Pick one up in Courtenay. We'll do the rest.
CA$150 setup by a local tech
Human Touch IT will set up your security keys or your refurbished laptop for a flat CA$150 installation:
- Security keys registered on email, Microsoft 365 and banking where supported.
- MFA turned on across your team's accounts.
- Old data moved, updates installed, antivirus checked.
- A quick walk-through so staff know what to do next time a scam text arrives.
How Human Touch IT helps
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Human Touch IT is a Comox Valley team. We help local businesses with Microsoft 365 security, MFA, phone and email protection, and short staff training sessions. From people who live here.
Book an IT Assessment with André Onofre (CA$120, 40 minutes) at humantouchit.ai, or call or WhatsApp +1 250-792-0190.
Stay safe this long weekend. And enjoy the turkey.