Canadians alarmed by text messages asking their vote preference. Then their postal code. Then their name

It's election time, so receiving a text message from "Mary" or "Nancy" asking about your voting preferences might not seem all that unusual.

At least that's what Calgarian Stacey Schoneck thought when she heard her phone ping this week and read a message from a sender with "ERG National Research" posing that question, along with a list of federal party choices.

"I was momentarily quite excited [and] thought I get a chance to say what is going on in Alberta," said Schoneck.

So, she responded.

When a return text asked for her postal code, she responded again.

But then she was asked for her name. She says that's when she realized something was off and started asking the sender questions with no response.

"You don't need my name, so that to me was very suspect," Schoneck told CBC News.

She wasn't alone in being suspicious.

The Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC), a polling industry association, posted a notice on its website last year saying it has received numerous complaints about these text-message tactics from ERG National Research.

The notice stresses that ERG is not a member of its association and "should not be confused with Environics Research, a CRIC member in good standing."

"We have very specific rules on how our members collect data and get survey information from individuals and we really use that as a way to try to distinguish a legitimate request from some that may not be legitimate," said CRIC CEO John Tabone.

Since issuing the notice, Tabone says people have been reaching out to CRIC regularly because they're worried about what might be done with the information they've shared.

"I've gotten concerns from people saying, 'You know, I'm a senior citizen, just fill this out. I know now that I've seen the information about it, I'm really concerned … You know, is there a risk to me?'" said Tabone.

Who's behind the texts?

Tabone has done his own research on the company but says what he has found has been limited — and confusing.

According to the CRTC Voter Contact Registry, ERG National Research is listed as a communication service provider (CSP) for ElectRight, which, in turn, is listed as a CSP for ERG National Research.

From a corporate registry search, Tabone says he found both ERG and ElectRight use the same mailing address. 

And while he couldn't find a website for ERG, he did find one for ElectRight, with limited information.

"This company might be legitimate, but it's really hard when there isn't transparency," said Tabone.

CBC News has reached out to ElectRight but has not received a response.

Advice: Don't reply 'STOP'

B.C.-based cybersecurity expert Ian Robertson recently wrote a blog post about the ERG texts, which he said is drawing several thousand visits per day.

He says he's been tracking who's clicking on the post and what he's noticed is interesting.

Three weeks ago, Robertson says he was getting traffic from B.C.

Two weeks ago, it was clicks from Ontario.

And starting last week, the post was getting hits from Alberta.

"We're still getting a high rate of hits coming from Alberta," said Robertson. "So we are seeing it moving provincially, and currently Alberta seems to be the hotbed where we're seeing the traffic coming from."

Robertson says, presumably, as people receive these texts, they search for answers.

His advice: Ignore it, block it, and report it as spam.

He says providing any response at all, even replying with "STOP," verifies your phone number is a real number.

"As they're pushing [for information], they're filling out a spreadsheet and [for] some people they're just going to have, yes, you're a human and yes, there's somebody there, " said Robertson.

And he says even a small piece of information carries a lot of value. 

He says your postal code, in some cases, can narrow down the block or apartment building where you live.

"You've increased the value by [confirming] this phone number is at this specific location, so some third party now has that level of demographic detail on you," said Robertson.

Robertson says it's best to always check the Elections Canada website for any election-related information.

Tabone says he believes what ERG Research is doing is wrong, but he says it's not exactly clear what rules they are violating, so he urges people to report their concerns, as he has, to Elections Canada and the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

How to complain, and to whom

CBC News reached out to the CRTC and, in an emailed response, the commission said it "plays a narrow role to promote and monitor compliance with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation within a civil regulatory regime, [and] the CRTC investigates complaints that fall within this narrow mandate."

The CRTC also encourages people to contact the Commissioner of Canada Elections and Elections Canada if they are concerned about election-related spam, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre if they believe they are a victim of fraud.

Tabone says it's not clear who is responsible for investigating these types of complaints.

He says he now plans to raise the issue with the privacy commissioner.

But he hopes if enough people speak up, these types of practices will be investigated.

"I think the more that people complain and make this an issue, I think it's going to escalate potentially some changes to regulations," said Tabone.