B.C. warns of 'identical' government payment website made by 'malicious actors'

The British Columbia government is warning people about a scam involving its PayBC website, where an "identical fake website" is collecting personal and credit card information.

The PayBC site gives residents a secure place to pay their bills or for services from the provincial government, but it says it has become aware of phishing attempts against users.

A statement from the government says the two sites can't be told apart, although the website addresses are different.

It says the site was created by "malicious actors" to steal personal and financial information.

The government says in the statement that people need to be vigilant against such phishing attempts and to make sure they are in the proper pay.gov.bc.ca website address.

They say those paying on a website should never pay or offer personal information unless they have verified the legitimacy of the website.