March 13, 2024

March is Fraud Prevention Month - OPP say don't pay the scammer

March is Fraud Prevention month, and the South Bruce Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking residents to be mindful of the cons and scams that are attempted every day.

The numbers (reported by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre:

• In 2021, Canadians lost a reported $384 million dollars to Fraud
• In 2022, Canadians lost a reported $530 million dollars to Fraud
• In 20 23, Canadians lost a reported $554 million dollars to Fraud

Canadians have seen a steady increase in dollar losses to Fraud over the past 3 years. Considering that about 10 % of Fraud is reported, the actual dollar losses are considerably higher.

Through the first two months of 2024 (January 1, 2024 - March 1, 2024), residents of Southern Bruce County have already lost $105,000 to cons and scams.

Tech-savvy scammers use technology to create very convincing schemes to trick you into sending them money. They will commonly use the name of a real company, or a person's name you recognize, to gain your trust so that you will send money or personal information to them.

A quick and easy way to prevent Fraud? Verify any contact that you aren't expecting.

The South Bruce OPP is offering the following tips to help protect you from a con artist:

• If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
• Remember that you can't win a contest that you didn't enter in the first place.
• If you have a concern about your computer, take it to a reputable repair shop for service. Never provide remote access to a "tech" that calls you out of the blue
• Gift cards are a red flag. If someone contacts you and directs you to buy gift cards, you need to hang up the phone/shred the letter/delete the email, etc.
• Your best defence is to verify any unsolicited contact. Unsolicited means that you didn't ask for it.

Fraud is a multi-million-dollar enterprise that will only end when they stop making money.

Anyone interested in more information on fraud can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1 888 495 8501 or check online at http://www.antifraudcentre.ca/.

The South Bruce OPP is requesting anyone wi th information to call 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a secure web-tip at www.cstip.ca, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2000.

 

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