Via Rail Canada has lots of ideas for long-distance travel by train, a section with low fares, and other ways to save money including through frequent railers travel cards, but the travel company issued a warning to let customers know that they have nothing to do with some of the offers popping up on social media.

Via Rail issued an alert on their Facebook page warning customers that they may be duped if they make purchases from other sources.

The company said that they are aware of “several active social media scams offering gift cards or free travel with VIA Rail in exchange for answering a survey and/or paying a small fee.”

They also say that legitimate VIA Rail promotional offers are only advertised on their official social media channels on platforms like Facebook and X. The company adds that they will “never ask for credit card information or to fill any forms on a third-party website.”

The fraud alert is posted on the Core Magazines Facebook page.

How to spot the social media travel card scam

One offer is in the form of a fake ad on Facebook. The ad has what appears to be the Via Rail logo and offers a travel card for only $13.95. The account is not Via Rail Canada and does not have a blue checkmark like the real account. The copy suggests that the discounted rate is given to readers who answer questions to a survey. The questions are not included, which means that a user would have to click on a link to be able to answer the questions elsewhere. 

The thing that is convincing about the ad is that it has about 30 comments vouching for the offer, making it seem like it is a legitimate one coming from Via Rail. Many of the commenters say they couldn’t believe the offer at first, but they did receive their cards. The commenters’ accounts look real but have few followers. 

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says as of June 30, 2024, already close to 22,000 reports of fraud and identity theft have been processed. Almost 16,000 victims of fraudulent activity have been reported just halfway through the year. So far, $284 million has been lost this way and only a very small fraction of the funds is expected to be recovered. 

The Via Rail Canada travel card scam is a small drop in the bucket of a multi-billion-dollar scam industry. 

by Cherryl Bird – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
X @ladycbird | Instagram @cherrylbird