Elizabeth Haddock was suspicious when a text message Sunday directed her to verify her eligibility for the “Canadian Bread Class Action settlement before April 1st.”

She had doubts based on the 902 area code, but she still clicked the link because she had signed up for the settlement months earlier and was expecting a payout soon. The link sent Haddock to a website that asked her fill out a form to claim her share, which it indicated was $182.

“It looked so legitimate,” Haddock told CBC News on Monday. “It mentioned facts about the price-fixing issue, and the rebate, and walked you through the steps.”

But once the form asked for Haddock’s credit card information to process her refund, she realized it was likely a scam.

“That was a major red flag for me,” said Haddock, 56, who lives in Mono, Ont., northwest of Toronto.

“But I’m sure that some people will fall for it.”

Haddock is one of two people who reached out to CBC News over the weekend pointing to the texts they’d received about a $500-million settlement in a class-action lawsuit related to the industry-wide price fixing of bread, suggesting they may be a scam.

“This is fraud,” confirmed Jay Strosberg of Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP, the law firm that filed the class-action suit in Ontario.

He said the firm is “actively working” with with the RCMP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) about the issue.

The CAFC told CBC News it has received nine reports of the phishing text message since March 1, all of which ask victims to provide their name, address, date of birth and credit card or debit card information.

Four of those reports indicate the credit card information was compromised, the CAFC spokesperson said.

“We generally advise that we only receive five to 10 per cent of fraud reports from Canadians, but it’s much lower when looking at phishing specifically,” the CAFC said.

“It’s safe to say that nine reports is only a small percentage of what is actually circulating.”

WATCH | Loblaw agrees to $500M settlement:

Loblaw and parent company agree to $500M price-fixing settlement

Loblaw and its parent company, George Weston Ltd., have agreed to pay out $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit linked to a bread price-fixing scheme. The company also acknowledged the impact of a recent boycott.

‘No text messages will be sent to you’

There are only two legitimate website for the class-action lawsuit, one for Quebec residents and one for those in the rest of Canada, and in both cases the claims process has been closed since December. The latter website is powered by Verita, an independent administrator for the settlement.

The links in the two text messages CBC has viewed appear to take users to websites that claim to be run by Verita, using variations of the original URL. Verita has sent a takedown request for one of them, but since that website was shut down, more have popped up, Strosberg explained.

“We are looking to extend a blanket restriction on all the sites, since when we close down one they open another and we don’t know what they will be using,” he said.

Any eligible Canadian resident who purchased packaged bread for their personal use between 2001 and 2021 could claim compensation from the national settlement reached with Loblaw Companies Ltd., and parent company George Weston Ltd. 

The claims process opened Sept. 11, 2025, and closed Dec. 12. And as the legitimate website canadianbreadsettlement.ca points out, claims can no longer be submitted. Verita notes on the website it expect payments to start being made in April, either by e-transfer or by cheque, depending on the claimant selected previously.

Previously, Verita had estimated each claimant could receive a minimum of $50.

“No text messages will be sent to you,” the website declares in a new security warning.

“We do not send text messages requesting personal information or payment information. If you receive any such message claiming to be from Verita, do not respond or click on any links.”

On the legitimate Quebec website, a message reads that the claims process is still ongoing, and no payments or compensation have been issued yet.

“If you receive any message claiming that payments have started or requesting personal or banking information, please treat it as suspicious,” the website notes.

Fake websites ask for credit card info

The 902 phone number that sent a text to Haddock belongs to a mobile phone in Antigonish, N.S., according to a reverse search. When CBC called the number Monday, it was not in service.

CBC News followed the link texted to Haddock and viewed one of the fraudulent websites that claims to be from “Verita Class Action Services.” It contains background information about the class-action lawsuit and directs people to fill in a claim form for a pre-determined amount.

CBC News was promised $193.88, asked to fill in a form with our personal information, then directed to fill in our “refund payment details,” including full credit card information.

CBC News has also viewed a similar message texted to another person Sunday, this one from a 306 area code, indicating it came from Saskatchewan.

Following that link took CBC to another fraudulent variation of the original bread settlement URL, and urged users to claim up to $150 before a March 31 deadline. It also asked for personal information. This site, similar to the authentic site, also asked users if they participated in the Loblaw $25 gift card option.

Loblaw ran a gift card program from 2018 to 2019 in hopes of making amends with customers who paid about $1.50 more per loaf of bread. The actual settlement website notes the payout amount depends on whether or not an approved claimant previously received a $25 Loblaw card.

After filling in (fake) personal information on the fraudulent website, CBC News was informed the estimated compensation was $145.67, and was asked to provide credit card information.

Haddock told CBC News she’s relieved she didn’t hand over her credit card information, but says she’s worried how many people may have already fallen for the scam.

“And especially with the timing of the whole thing, and the promise of a bigger cheque,” she said.

She notes that the phishing message she received warned her to register before April 1, which was another red flag, since she knew the deadline was in December.

“But a lot of people may not know that.”