Fraud Prevention

What do scammers want?
Your money and your personal information

Remember the 3 Rs…
Recognize
Treat every online interaction with caution. Ensure you are verifying before supplying personal information or sending money. You don’t have to be 100% sure something is a scam.
Reject
Don’t be afraid to say NO! Stop! Delete!
Disengage from any further contact if something feels off.
You never have to share personal information or money with a stranger who claims they are trustworthy
Report
Talk to someone you trust, even if the person on the other end tells you not to.
Suffered a loss? Report it to your local police and your financial institution.
Not suffered a loss, but were involved in an attempted scam? Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

Common Online Scams

Grandparent Scam
Scammers pretend to be a grandchild or other family members in trouble and needing money. They will demand the victim withdraw large sums of money and arrange to have a courier pick up the money.
Protect yourself
Hang up and call back the alleged family member directly or someone close to them to confirm their safety.
Remember – AI may be used to mimic/impersonate voices of loved ones or produce images to make someone believe their story
Investment Scam
Scammers convince victims to invest in an investment that does not exist.
Protect yourself
Do your research and never invest with a firm that is not registered with the Canadian Securities Administrators website.
Romance Scam
Scammers troll legitimate dating sites to identify victims. They gain the trust of the victim and seek opportunities to ask for money.
Protect yourself
Never send money to someone you have never met
Computer Fixing Scam
Victims receive a pop-up or phone call from someone claiming to be “tech support” and they can fix their computer for an upfront fee.
Protect yourself
Never give remote access, use a local reputable business to fix your computer.
Recovery Scam
Scammers re-contact victims and claim they can recover their losses for a fee.
Protect yourself
The only way scammers know you had funds stolen is because they were part of the original scam. Do not pay someone to recover stolen funds.
Extortion Scam
Scammers access compromising photos or videos of victims and threaten to share them unless paid
Protect yourself
Never share compromising images. Never pay the scammers, you have no control of where they are stored or sent.
Government of Business Scam
Victims are told they owe fees, taxes or fines and that there will be legal consequences if they don’t pay. Scammers may ask the victim to “verify” their identity with personal information that is later used to open fraudulent accounts
Protect yourself
Get the official phone number of the business/government agency (not the one the scammer provides) and contact them to verify the claim.

General Tips for Common Scams

Don’t be afraid to say NO!
Hang up the call, or delete the message
Protect your information
Don’t give any information (or money) to anyone you haven’t confirmed is legitimate.
Verify the information
Never assume a caller ID, email address or website provided is accurate
Protect your computer
Have your devices checked over by a professional. Install software, when possible, to help protect your devices. Do not allow remote connections unless it is a trusted technician
Check your credit
Routinely check your credit with TransUnion or Equifax
Don’t Click!
Never click links you do not trust