Hovk.org Trusted Information and Education News Media
Publication
March 1, 2018
Preface
Scammers are sneaky and sly. They can target anyone, from youngsters to retirees. They tin also target businesses. No 1 is allowed to fraud.
Our group of superheroes has found a way to see through the scams. Their secret is simple: knowledge is power!
Read on to find out how you can also become a fraud-fighting superhero. Share this booklet with family and friends and start powering upwardly!
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Table of contents
top of folio
Red flags: things to watch for
Reporting a scam
Copyright and permission to reproduce
Fraud fighting 101
Fraud fighting 101
Six brightly dressed superheroes stand together and are set up to fight fraud. The various cast of the superhero team ranges in different ages. From left to right, they include:
- a sitting gray, blueish-eyed canis familiaris wearing a purple superhero cape;
- an elderly man with a greyness bristles in a purple superhero suit, waving hullo with his right manus;
- a red-haired woman in a yellow superhero suit with a small grinning;
- a teenage boy in a cherry-red superhero suit is giving a thumbs-upwards;
- a smiling teenage girl in a lime green superhero suit; and
- a muscular man in a blueish superhero suit with a large smile.
The variety of the superhero team represents the fact that anyone is capable of fighting fraud.
Become a real-life superhero by arming yourself with the information you need to fight fraud and keep yourself, your family and your money prophylactic.
You work hard for your coin.
You want to spend it on things that affair to you lot—whether information technology’s your children’s didactics, an heady trip or a new smartphone.
Fraudsters are real.
They are out in that location every twenty-four hours looking for victims. They will target you online, over the telephone, past mail or in person.
You lot’re a target.
Thousands of Canadians lose millions of dollars to fraudsters every yr. The affect of fraud on families and businesses tin be devastating.
Learn to fight fraud.
This booklet includes 12 of the nearly common scams currently targeting Canadians. Information technology is filled with tips and tricks on how to protect yourself and what to do if you get scammed.
Report it!
Anyone tin can exist targeted, from teenagers, to grandparents, to senior corporate officers. The best thing you tin can do is to report the fraud, whatever the amount, to the appropriate government. Don’t be embarrassed as information technology will assistance others from falling for it.
Noesis is your power.
Protect yourself by seeking out more information. In addition to this booklet, you can also consult numerous trusted websites for more information.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, managed past the RCMP, the Competition Bureau and the Ontario Provincial Police, has plenty of information on fraud. Power upwardly today past visiting www.antifraudcentre.ca!
Subscription traps
Practiced deals can bait you into falling for expensive traps!
Subscription traps
A cherry-red-haired adult female in a yellow superhero arrange is pushing back against a too-goodhoped-for-truthful free subscription offer, represented by a purple volume decorated with a glossy scarlet bow that has been placed inside a bear trap.
Continued to the trap are three spiked assurance and chains, representing hidden monthly charges, shipping costs and unbreakable contracts.
A subscription trap tin can trick y’all past offer “free” or “low-toll” trials of products and services. Products commonly offered are weight loss pills, health foods, pharmaceuticals and anti-ageing products.
Once you provide your credit card data to cover aircraft costs, yous are unknowingly locked into a monthly subscription. Delivery and billing can then exist difficult, if not near impossible, to stop.
Scammers use websites, emails, social media platforms and phones to reel people in. Call back, high-pressure sales tactics like a “limited time offering” are frequently used to rush you into making a conclusion.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Trust your instincts. If information technology’s likewise practiced to be true, don’t sign upwardly.
- Before yous sign upward for a costless trial, research the company and read reviews; especially the negative ones. The Ameliorate Concern Bureau is a great source of information.
- Don’t sign up if you lot tin’t find or understand the terms and conditions.
Pay special attention to pre-checked boxes, cancellation clauses, return policies, and any vague charges. - If you go ahead with a free trial, keep all documents, receipts, emails, and text messages.
- Regularly check your credit card statements for frequent or unknown charges.
- If you take trouble cancelling your subscription, contact your credit menu provider, your local consumer protection organization, or police force enforcement agencies.
If you suspect a scam, e’er study it.
Run across Red Flags and Reporting a scam for more information.
Identity theft
Help ensure your identity remains yours alone!
Identity theft
A muscular man in a blue superhero adjust is flying through the air, fighting to have dorsum his identity. In one hand he holds a keyboard and in the other, ii masks representing his identity.
A tentacled, octopus-like monster is escaping from a estimator screen where the words “Enter your name” and “Give the states your banking info” are displayed.
The monster is attempting to steal his identity through the Internet. It is belongings ii more than masks representing the stolen superhero’s identity.
Scammers are always on the lookout to collect or reproduce your personal data to commit fraud. Thieves tin make purchases using your accounts, obtain passports, receive government benefits, utilize for loans, and more. This could turn your life upside down.
Fraudsters use techniques that range from unsophisticated to elaborate. Offline, they can go through trash bins or steal mail. Online, they tin can use spyware and viruses, equally well as hacking and phishing.
They await for credit card information, banking company account details, total name and signature, date of birth, social insurance number, total address, mother’due south maiden name, online usernames and passwords, driver’s licence number, and passport number.
Identity theft is a serious criminal offence!
Tips to protect yourself:
- Never provide your personal information over the phone, via text bulletin, email or the internet.
- Avoid public computers or Wi-Fi hotspots, such as in coffee shops, to access or provide personal data; they put you lot at risk.
- Create stiff and unique passwords for each of your online accounts. Password-protect your devices and home Wi-Fi network.
- Use a secure and reputable payment service when buying online—look for a URL starting with “https” and a closed padlock symbol.
- Avoid giving out personal information on social media. It can exist used forth with your pictures to commit fraud.
- Always shield your PIN when using your card. If you paw it over to a cashier, never lose sight of it.
- Shred and destroy documents with personal data.
If yous doubtable a scam, always written report information technology.
See Cherry-red Flags and Reporting a scam for more than data.
CEO scams
Your CEO is asking for money urgently; brand sure the electronic mail is legitimate!
CEO Scams
A red-haired woman in a yellow superhero suit is flying through the air. She has just severed the scammer’s cord-like arm that was trying to break into the company vault.
The scammer is a 1-eyed Scam Bot robot trying to impersonate the company CEO with a clumsily taped photo on its face. Its arm has already reached through ii interconnected laptop computers, representing 2 levels of employees.
The start computer closest to the scammer displays the e-mail message sent to an employee: “Hi Dave. This is your CEO. I need access to our funds.”
The second calculator displays the message from the employee to someone at the visitor with financial authorisation: “This is Dave. Our CEO needs access to our funds.”
The superhero has stopped a scammer from accessing company funds.
Do yous work in bookkeeping or finance? Exercise yous have the authority to move money at work? Practise you written report to a main executive officer (CEO)? If yep, be on the lookout; this scam specifically targets you!
In a typical “CEO scam,” fraudsters will impersonate a senior company executive, either by gaining access to their e-mail accost or by imitating ane. They will transport realistic-looking emails that try to trick you lot into wiring money to a third party.
The emails will make the asking sound urgent and confidential. For instance, they may say the money is needed to secure an of import contract, consummate a confidential transaction, or update a supplier’due south payment information.
Fraudsters are usually strategic about the timing of these emails. They send them when executives are away or hard to reach. This lucrative scam can cost businesses tens of thousands to millions of dollars.
CEO scams are a growing global threat that targets small local businesses and large corporations alike.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Continue your computer systems secure with an up-to-date, reputable antivirus software and strong passwords.
- Validate all transfer requests either on the phone or in person. Never use the contact information provided in emails.
- Verify the sender’s electronic mail address—scammers will often create addresses that are very similar to legitimate ones, with just one or two different letters.
- Encourage your visitor to create a standard procedure for money transfers that requires multiple levels of approvals.
- Limit the details you share publicly. Fraudsters employ information that’s available online and on social media to observe potential victims and to time their fraud.
If you doubtable a scam, ever written report information technology.
Meet Red Flags and Reporting a scam for more information.
Health and medical scams
Watch out for magical cures that offering quick and easy fixes.
Health and medical scams
An elderly man with a grey beard in a purple superhero arrange is upheaving a wooden cart with one of his arms.
The cart has a sign on it that reads, “Snake Oil: a cure for all your ails.”
A greenish serpent-similar monster is slithering through the cart, while opened bottles of pills are spilling out onto the ground.
The superhero is resisting the allure of the quick fixes promised by wellness and medical scams.
At that place are fraudsters out there who promise to accept advantage of people’s suffering. The three virtually common types of health scams are miracle cures, weight loss programs and fake online pharmacies. In all cases, they oftentimes appear as sponsored posts on social media or website popular-ups.
Scammers offer products and services that seem to exist legitimate alternative medicines and treatments that apace and easily care for serious atmospheric condition. Some of these may seem to be endorsed past celebrities or promoted by testimonials of people claiming to have been cured.
Weight loss scams promise dramatic results with trivial to no endeavour. The scammers might promote unusual diets; revolutionary exercises; fat-busting devices; or breakthrough products, such as pills, patches or creams.
Faux online pharmacies offer drugs and medications at very inexpensive prices or without a physician’due south prescription. They annunciate on the net and send spam emails. If you do receive the promised products, there is no guarantee they are the real thing or safe to accept.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Recall that there are no magic pills or miracle cures for achieving quick weight loss or treating medical atmospheric condition.
- Don’t trust claims well-nigh medicines, supplements or other treatments. Get the facts straight from your healthcare professional.
- Never commit to anything under force per unit area, especially if a large advance payment or long-term contract is required.
- Know that if an online chemist’s is legitimate, it will require valid prescriptions.
- Be skeptical of celebrity endorsements or testimonials.
If you suspect a scam, ever report it.
Run across Red Flags and Reporting a scam for more information.
Romance scams
Who is really behind the keyboard?
Romance scams
A grey, blue-eyed dog wearing a purple superhero cape is confronting a scammer on a dating site. The scammer is a dark-brown dog sitting in forepart of a computer and pretending to exist someone they are not.
In this instance, they are holding a photo of a poodle between their teeth and sending messages that say:
- “I dear you,”
- “Send more kibble my love” and
- “Help, I need your kibble.”
A dish next to the scammer is overflowing with kibble, just the superhero’s dish is almost empty. The superhero has had enough and has finally uncovered the scammer.
Proceed your guard up and wait out for potential scammers who will endeavour to lower your defences by highly-seasoned to your romantic and compassionate side. They tin can prey on you on popular, legitimate dating sites as well as on imitation ones.
On a real dating site, a scammer might send you a few messages and a good-looking photo of themselves, or of someone they merits to be. In one case you are charmed, they volition starting time asking yous to send coin. They may claim to accept a very sick family fellow member or a desperate situation with which they demand your help. In one case yous give them money, they often disappear.
A fraudster tin too create a false dating site where you pay for each message you ship and receive. To keep yous writing dorsum and paying, the scammer may hook you in with vague emails about their beloved and desire for yous.
In many cases, the scammer may even arrange to meet up with you in person to make their fraud seem more credible.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Never send coin or requite fiscal details on a dating site.
- Trust your instincts, ask questions and carefully read the terms and conditions before signing up.
- Know which services are free, which ones cost money and what it takes to abolish your account.
- Brand sure y’all merely use legitimate and reputable dating sites. Always bank check website addresses carefully, as scammers oft mimic real web addresses.
- Recall that it’due south very unlikely that someone will declare their undying love to anyone after only a few letters, emails, telephone calls or pictures.
If you suspect a scam, always study it.
See Carmine Flags and Reporting a scam for more than information.
Business scams
Stay upwardly to date on the schemes targeting businesses!
Business scams
A muscular man in a blue superhero arrange is confronting ii vultures dressed in desperately fitting, inexpensive-looking business suits.
The superhero is neat open up a book that has a scotch-taped note on the cover. The note says, “Biggest Bestest Bizniz Directury” and both the words Bizness and Directury have spelling mistakes.
The within of the book reveals the discussion, “Scam” repeated over and over again on its pages. The superhero is fighting back confronting the directory scam.
Organizations of whatever size tin still be duped past clever frauds, and then brand certain you know virtually them.
A typical one is the directory scam. A fraudster sends your company a proposal for a listing or advertisement in a magazine, periodical or business directory, or for an online directory. They’ll phone call to confirm the accost and other details. And then the accounting department volition receive and pay the nib, unaware that your company never actually ordered or authorized the service.
Another common fraud is the health and rubber products scam. You might receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be from the provincial authorities, telling yous that your first-aid kits demand to be replaced or you have to update your visitor’due south health and safety grooming. In both cases, you may be told to act quickly.
One other possible scam is the office supply scam, which involves you receiving and existence charged for items yous didn’t social club.
In many cases, scammers volition hound y’all to pay the corporeality they claim you owe. They will even trick you into believing that they will report you to a collection agency.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Educate yourself, your employees and your co-workers to be cautious of unsolicited calls.
- Create a list of companies that are typically used past your business.
- Limit the number of staff who can approve purchases and pay bills.
- Clearly define procedures for verification, payment and management of accounts and invoices.
- Contact your province’south regulator to know your legal obligations.
- Fraudsters will use company names or logos similar to those of known businesses to make their invoices seem real. Audit invoices carefully before making whatever payments.
If you suspect a scam, e’er written report it.
See Red Flags and Reporting a scam for more than information.
Phishing and smishing scams
Be on the sentinel. Letters are easily fabricated!
Phishing and smishing scams
A teenage daughter in a lime green superhero conform is about to boom a computer screen with a heavy concrete gavel that says “Delete” on it.
The superhero is fighting against a scary-looking angler fish with precipitous teeth and bulging eyeballs. The angler fish’southward lure is a computer screen with the following email message: “Congratulations! You won our contest that you didn’t enter. Click here to give usa your banking info.”
The words “Click here” are hyperlinked in blueish. The superhero is not taking the bait. They are nearly to delete a common phishing scam that tries to get personal information past pretending to be a real organization.
Equally we spend more time online, fraudsters are getting more creative with scams in the digital space.
Phishing is when you lot get an unsolicited email that claims to be from a legitimate system, such every bit financial institutions, businesses or government agencies. Scammers ask you to provide or verify, either via email or by clicking on a spider web link, personal or financial information, similar your credit card number, passwords and social insurance number.
Smishing is the same thing, except information technology occurs via text messages.
These letters often re-create the tone and logo of organizations yous trust, and commonly include a call to action. They accept many shapes and forms but the lesser line is that they seek your personal details.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Know that reputable organizations will never ask for your personal data through e-mail or text.
- Ignore communications from unknown contacts.
- Delete suspicious messages as they tin can carry viruses.
- Don’t reply to spam messages, fifty-fifty to unsubscribe, and don’t open any attachments or follow any links.
- To verify a hyperlink without clicking, hover your mouse over information technology. Advisedly check if it is accurate.
- Update your antivirus software on all devices.
- Never utilise the telephone number or email address provided in the suspicious message—use contact information listed on verified websites.
If you suspect a scam, always report it.
See Scarlet Flags and Reporting a scam for more information.
Taxation scams
Got a call or email from the CRA? Brand sure information technology’due south real!
Revenue enhancement scams
A ruby-red-haired woman in a yellow superhero suit is belongings the receiver of a crimson telephone at arm’s length from her ear, while a muscular man in a blue superhero accommodate is blowing a burst of air into the mouthpiece.
On the other end of the line are two rats impersonating tax collectors, which are being blown abroad by the superhero’due south gust of wind. They are surrounded by notes that characteristic threats ordinarily heard by victims of tax scams, such every bit:
- “Nosotros will phone call the police,”
- “Pay us in gift cards,”
- “Send us your money or else!!!” and
- “We are the tax collectors. Transport us money.”
The superheroes are fighting dorsum confronting tax scammers who claim to be from the Canada Revenue Agency and demand to exist paid tax debts.
You become a text message or an email from the Canada Acquirement Agency (CRA) challenge you’re entitled to an extra refund and all you demand to do is provide your banking details. Watch out—this wonderful-if-truthful situation is exactly what a tax scam looks like.
Another variation is that they call you to say that you owe the CRA money and that you lot need to pay correct away, or else they will written report you to the police.
In whatsoever example, if you do receive a telephone call, letter of the alphabet, email or text saying you owe money to the CRA, y’all tin can double check online via “My Account” or phone call i-800-959-8281.
Tips to protect yourself:
The CRA will never:
- utilize aggressive or threatening linguistic communication.
- threaten y’all with arrest or send police.
- ask for payments via prepaid credit cards or gift cards, such equally ITunes, Home Depot, etc.
- collect or distribute payments through Interac due east-transfer.
- use text letters to communicate under whatsoever circumstances.
Emails from the CRA:
- never ask for financial data.
- never provide fiscal information.
The CRA’south accustomed payment methods are:
- online cyberbanking.
- debit bill of fare.
- pre-authorized debit.
If yous doubtable a scam, always report information technology.
See Red Flags and Reporting a scam for more information.
Door-to-door scams
Knock, knock! Who’s at that place? A scammer!
Door-to-door scams
A gray, blue-eyed domestic dog wearing a purple superhero cape has answered the door to a large dark-brown bull. Behind the bull is a big white truck that reads, “Total Bull Repairs” on information technology.
The bull has a ring through its nose and is belongings a clipboard with a contract attached that reads, “Full Balderdash Repairs Contract.”
The superhero is examining the contract with a large red magnifying glass that reveals the fine print with the message, “This is a Scam.”
The superhero is fighting dorsum confronting door-to-door scams by taking the time to read the fine impress and non giving in to sales pressure level.
Despite living in the digital historic period, there are yet some old fashioned scams that come up right to your door, posing a threat to you and to businesses. With this trick, door-to-door salespeople use high-pressure tactics to convince you to purchase a production or sign up for a service you don’t want or need.
These ambitious pitches are often for charitable donations, investment opportunities or home services and maintenance of diverse appliances, like h2o heaters, furnaces and air conditioners.
In many cases, you’ll never receive the production or service promised. In others, the products or services are of poor quality or non as represented.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Don’t feel pressured to make a quick conclusion—have fourth dimension to do some research on the seller and the products first.
- Enquire for photograph ID, get the proper noun of the person and of the company or clemency they represent.
- Ask for the charity’s breakup of where funds are allocated. Be sure to get this in writing.
- Never share any personal information or copies of whatever bills or financial statements.
- Just let access to your property to people you trust.
- Research before you invest. Don’t sign anything and ever read the fine print.
- Know your rights. Contact your local consumer affairs office—nearly provinces and territories have guidelines under their consumer protection act.
If you suspect a scam, e’er study it.
See Red Flags and Reporting a scam for more information.
Emergency scams
Caring grandparents, don’t deed as well speedily!
Emergency scams
An elderly man with a grey beard in a regal superhero adjust is lifting the lid off a grayness metal box with one hand and belongings a smartphone in the other paw.
The chapeau of the box reads, “Not-a-infirmary,” while the phone’southward screen displays a bulletin that reads, “Help! Transport Coin!”
Within the box is a stage filled with actors, fake props and a coiffure meant to simulate a infirmary setting. The actors and crew wait startled.
The superhero has successfully resisted the emergency scam, where someone calls pretending to exist a loved one in problem and claims they need money immediately.
Emergency frauds usually target loving grandparents, taking reward of their emotions to rob them of their money.
The typical scam starts with a grandparent receiving a call from someone claiming to be their grandchild. The “grandchild” goes on to say they’re in problem—mutual misfortunes include having been in a car accident, getting locked up in jail, or problem returning home from a foreign state—and they need money immediately.
The caller will ask you questions, getting yous to reveal personal information. They’ll likewise swear you to secrecy, saying they are embarrassed and don’t want other family members to find out what’southward happened.
Ane variation of this ploy features two people on the phone, one pretending to be a grandchild and the other a constabulary officeholder or lawyer.
In other cases, the scammer will pretend to be an old neighbour or a family friend in problem.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Have time to verify the story. Scammers are counting on you wanting to quickly help your loved one in an emergency.
- Telephone call the kid’s parents or friends to find out nearly their whereabouts.
- Enquire the person on the telephone questions that only your loved i would be able to answer and verify their identity before taking steps to assist.
- Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust.
- Never give out whatsoever personal information to the caller.
If you suspect a scam, ever report it.
See Cherry Flags and Reporting a scam for more information.
Purchase of trade scams
Not all online vendors are reputable!
Purchase of merchandise scams
A teenage boy in a red superhero arrange is flight through the air. With his finger, he has punctured a hole in the caput of a human being made entirely from balloons.
The balloon man’s facial features are stencilled in with pencil on a imperial head. He is wearing a pinkish bowtie, blue jacket and orange pants, all made out of balloons.
All around, empty cardboard boxes are scattered. On their sides they read, “100% aught merely hot air!”
A laptop is perched on a cardboard box. On the screen there is a message in large bold capital messages that reads: “Buy it now! Our boxes are %100 total.” Immediately underneath, “of hot air” is added in fine print.
The superhero has revealed an online shopping scam that was too skilful to be true.
Online shopping is a favourite pastime for many consumers. But many deals yous encounter online—from cheap designer purses to significantly discounted electronic goods—are as well good to exist true.
Fraudsters can create accounts on legitimate auction sites, such as eBay, or on an online marketplace, like Kijiji or Craigslist. They will annunciate their products at very low prices, enticing you to purchase them.
At the end of the day, if yous do get something, it might be of poor quality or a bad imitation of what you expected.
In other instances, fraudsters will lure you into clicking on sponsored links that volition direct you to a seemingly genuine website. If you decide to buy from there, yous won’t benefit from whatsoever protection or services that legitimate websites offering.
If a site or offering stands out dramatically from the rest, at that place’s likely something off.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Buy from companies or individuals you lot know past reputation or from past experience.
- Never make a deal outside the auction site.
- Beware of sellers from far away or that take limited or no reviews.
- Use a credit card when shopping online; many offer protection and may give you a refund.
- Be wary of websites that comprise spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
- Read the refund and return policies carefully, including the fine print.
- Enquire the supplier questions and confirm service delivery timelines and the total cost.
If you suspect a scam, always written report it.
See Ruby Flags and Reporting a scam for more information.
Auction of merchandise scams
Scammers can pose as buyers.
Sale of trade scams
A teenage girl in a lime green superhero suit is holding on to the merchandise she was planning to sell and gesturing “finish” to a slimy purple monster.
The monster is offering up a tray of counterfeit $100 bills with i tentacle arm and creating more than counterfeit money with another arm.
By beingness cautious about to whom she sells her trade, the superhero is both protecting herself and stopping scammers who pose equally buyers online.
If you sell items online, either personally or as part of a business organization, you need to be careful who you lot sell to as at that place is a risk of being targeted by tricksters who want to have your trade, coin, or both.
In one version, the fraudster will concord to purchase your detail without seeing it. You’ll get a PayPal or e-mail money notification that claims the payment is pending.
The catch is, the notification volition say the payment volition only be released when yous provide a tracking number for the goods. By the time you lot enter the tracking number, you’ll have already shipped the merchandise simply to acquire that the payment notification was a fake.
In other cases, you might get paid with a fake coin transfer, a fraudulent cheque or a stolen credit carte.
In some other version, the scammer may ship y’all a bulletin that says the payment tin’t exist sent due to a trouble with your PayPal or bank account. You’ll be asked to pay a fee to obtain a business business relationship to complete the transaction. The scammer offers to pay the fee if you reimburse them using a transfer or wire service. If yous agree, the “fee” money will go to the con creative person.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Always meet in a local, public and condom place to complete an exchange.
- Beware of generic emails with bad grammar.
- Beware of far away buyers who want to purchase products or other items without seeing them.
- Verify the sender’s electronic mail address—scammers will often create addresses that are very like to legitimate ones, with just i or 2 dissimilar letters.
- Never send money to get money.
If you suspect a scam, ever written report it.
Run across Blood-red Flags and Reporting a scam for more data.
Red flags: things to watch for
Learn to recognize the signs that something is amiss
- Wire transfer
- Many scams involve a request to wire money electronically using a money transfer service, like MoneyGram and Western Union, or using cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin. Remember that sending a transfer through these services is like sending cash—one time the amount is picked up, information technology’s almost incommunicable to get your money dorsum.
- Overpayment
- When you’re selling something—especially online—exist wary of how you lot get paid. A fraudster may send you lot a counterfeit cashier’s, personal or corporate cheque in an amount in excess of what they owe. You’ll be asked to deposit the cheque and wire the backlog funds immediately dorsum to them. Once your bank realizes the cheque is a fake, you lot’ll be on the claw for the money withdrawn.
- Spelling mistakes
- Be skeptical of emails, letters or websites that contain misspelled common words; grammar errors that brand it difficult to read or expressions that are used incorrectly. Email and web addresses should likewise be examined closely to see if there are subtle mistakes or differences.
- Personal information request
- Fraudsters may ask potential victims to provide more personal or financial information than is required for the transaction or discussion. Be suspicious if someone asks for copies of your passport, driver’s licence and social insurance number, or nativity date, especially if you lot don’t know the requestor.
- Unsolicited calls
- You lot might get a call from someone claiming that you have a virus on your computer, you owe taxes or there has been fraudulent activity in your bank accounts. Know that legitimate organizations will non telephone call you lot straight. Hang up and call the organization yourself using the number from a trustworthy source, such as the phone volume, their website, or even invoices and business relationship statements.
- Unsolicited friend requests on social media
- Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know until you review their profile or ask your existent-life friends if they know them. Does their profile expect adequately empty or take posts that are very generic? Practise they seem to be promising more than friendship? These are some red flags that signal to a scam. Delete that asking and cake time to come ones.
- Phenomenal mail offers
- You received a game carte du jour in the mail. It guarantees you volition or take already won. Prizes might range from cars to trips. If y’all have non entered a contest, throw that carte du jour away. It’s probably a scam!
- It’s just as well expert to be truthful
- Everybody loves a peachy deal. Just shocking offers, unbelievable discounts and unreal rates may signal that the offer isn’t quite what it seems. Cheap prices usually equal cheap products, or counterfeit appurtenances. Complimentary offers may require providing your credit card for shipping. Modest tactics like these can lead to large profits for scammers.
Reporting a scam
Who to contact depends on where you lot live and what type of scam is involved.
Whether you lot’ve been scammed or targeted past a fraudster, you should e’er written report it. Canadian authorities may not always be able to accept action confronting scams, but there are ways you can help. By reporting the scam, authorities may be able to warn other people and alert the media to minimize the chances of the scam spreading further. Yous should besides warn your friends and family of any scams yous come beyond.
Here is some advice on where to study, depending on the type of scam:
Local scams
Contact your local consumer affairs office
Your local consumer affairs part is the all-time resources for investigating scams that announced to come from within your own province or territory. A list of provincial and territorial consumer affairs offices can exist plant in the Canadian Consumer Handbook.
Financial and investment scams
Contact Canadian Securities Administrators
Fiscal scams involve sales offers or promotions about financial products and services, such as superannuation, managed funds, fiscal advice, insurance, or credit or deposit accounts.
Investment scams involve share buying, foreign currency trading, offshore investments, Ponzi schemes, or prime bank investment schemes.
Yous can written report financial and investment scams to the Canadian Securities Administrators or your local securities regulator.
Banking and credit carte scams
Contact your bank or financial establishment
In addition to reporting these scams to the Canadian Anti‑Fraud Centre, y’all should alert your bank or financial institution about whatever suspicious correspondence that you receive regarding your business relationship. They can advise yous on what to do side by side.
When contacting your depository financial institution or financial institution, make sure to employ the phone number found in the phone book, on your business relationship statement or on the back of your card.
Spam emails and text messages
Contact the Spam Reporting Centre
Many scams get in by electronic mail and text message. Visit Fight Spam for information on Canada’s anti‑spam legislation and how to study spam.
Fraudulent, phishing or smishing messages requesting personal details can also be reported to the banking company, financial institution or other concerned system. Again, exist sure to use a phone number or e-mail address that is listed in an official reputable source, and not the one that appears in the email.
Fraud, theft and other crimes
Contact the police
Many scams that may breach consumer protection laws (those enforced by the Competition Agency and other authorities and law enforcement agencies) may also breach the fraud provisions of the
Criminal Lawmaking.
If you are the victim of fraud—significant you accept suffered a loss because of someone’southward dishonesty or deception—consider contacting your local law, especially if the amount involved is significant. You should definitely contact the police if your property has been stolen or you’ve been threatened or assaulted by a scammer.
Identity theft
Contact the police
Identity theft refers to the acquisition and collection of someone else’southward personal data for criminal purposes.
If you suspect or know that you are a victim of identity theft or fraud, or if you unwittingly provided personal or fiscal data, you should:
- Contact your local constabulary force and file a study.
- Contact your depository financial institution or financial institution and credit menu company
- Contact the two national credit bureaus and place a fraud alarm on your credit reports.
- Ever report identity theft and fraud. Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Additional organizations to contact depending on the situation:
- Your provincial Better Business organization Bureau
- Canada Revenue Agency—Charities Inquiries Line
1‑800‑267‑2384 - Your provincial records office
-
Credit bureaus tin put a fraud alert on your business relationship, which will alert lenders and creditors of potential fraud:
Equifax Canada
ane-800-465-7166TransUnion Canada
ane-866-525-0262
Source: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/competition-bureau-canada/en/little-black-book-scams-2nd-edition
