Canadians are being targeted by phishing texts claiming they are eligible for a milk class-action settlement. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says it has received reports of texts directing people to a fake settlement website that asks for personal and credit card information.

Canadians are being targeted by phishing texts about a milk class-action settlement that does not exist.

The scam comes as phishing messages related to Canada’s bread price-fixing settlement have also been circulating. In the milk-related version, people receive text messages claiming they are eligible for a payout from a Canadian milk class action.

The wording of the messages can vary, but they generally direct recipients to click a link. That link leads to a website that asks for personal information and credit card details in order to process a supposed rebate.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says it has received reports since March 25 of phishing texts claiming the recipient is eligible for a payout in a Canadian milk class action.

Unlike the bread settlement, there is no current, specific “Canadian Milk Class Action” matching the scam messages. The closest legitimate case appears to be a recent $6.5-million settlement involving recalled plant-based milk linked to a listeria outbreak.

The official website for that plant-based milk settlement has posted a warning stating that the claim process has not yet begun. It also says the administrators do not send text messages asking for personal or banking information.

A lawyer involved in the plant-based milk class action said no class-action administrator in Canada will ask for credit card or banking information to process a settlement payment.

CBC News reported that screenshots of several phishing texts about a milk class action showed the messages coming from a 902 area code. The links reportedly led to a website using a “Canada milk settlement” domain, which has since appeared to be blocked by Google with a deceptive website warning.

Settlement payments in legitimate class actions are generally made by Interac e-transfer or cheque, not by asking claimants to provide credit card details.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has previously warned that reported fraud numbers represent only a small portion of actual fraud activity. People who receive unexpected settlement-related texts should avoid clicking links, avoid providing financial information, and verify any class-action claim through official settlement websites or legal notices.

Anyone who provided financial information through a suspicious link should contact their financial institution, cancel affected cards if necessary, and report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

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Originally published on Canadian Fraud News.