The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are continuing to raise the awareness for North residents of the various scams that they may encounter on the telephone or online.
No matter your level of cyber fitness, the best protection against cyber threats is to learn more about them and the simple steps you can take to protect yourself.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) highlights the most popular holiday frauds so that you can recognize, reject, report and be merry.
Online shopping and counterfeit goods
- Research before you buy and save your money by shopping with retailers that are genuine.
Selling goods and services
- Is someone offering to pay more than your asking price on an online marketplace? Confirm you’ve received payment before you fulfill their order. Be wary of requests that become over-complicated or require you to send money before you receive full payment.
Shipping frauds
- Unsolicited text messages or emails, that impersonate legitimate shipping companies, that urgently request your personal or payment information due to incomplete shipping information, that inform you of delivery failures or packages being held for payment. Alternatively, fraudsters may request that you submit payment to their fabricated shipping company.
Cellphone promo frauds
- Fraudsters are calling claiming to be a well-known service provider offering to gift you with a new cellphone and discounted plan. After collecting personal information required for credit checks, they’ll order a new phone in your name. Alternatively, the victim may receive the ‘wrong’ phone and receive a request to ship it forward to the bad guys.
Investments
- Fraudsters are using social media and fraudulent websites to promote fraudulent crypto investment opportunities. They may even reach out through a random ‘wrong number’ text message. They’ll sell you on how easy it is; while they gain remote access to your device and assist you in setting up accounts. They’ll also guarantee that you’ll be feasting on profits in no time and with just a small investment to start. Research your advisor, their company and the feasibility of all investment offers. Verify that they’re on the Nice list by using the National Registration Tool (www.aretheyregistered.ca).
Recovery offers
- These fake law enforcement or recovery specialist will claim that they can recover your financial losses from a previous fraud. They’ll make you jump through several reindeer games, all while collecting more of your hard-earned money. Report incidents of fraud to your local law enforcement and financial institutions as soon as possible to maximize your real chances at recovery.
Gift cards
- When buying gift cards in-store, make sure they haven’t been tampered with by comparing others in stock and running your finger over barcodes. When purchasing gift cards online, avoid resale and auction sites. Legitimate businesses and organizations will not request gift cards as payments; especially under pressure.
Donations
- Charity frauds involve any false, deceptive, misleading or fraudulent solicitation for a donation to a charity, association, federation or religious cause. Always ask or locate the charitable tax number and confirm their registration with the Canada Revenue Agency - List of Charities or by phone at 1- 800-267-2384. Whenever possible, donate at the source.
Prize and vacation notifications
- Scammers will tell you they just need to confirm your personal information and then cover a few fees before your winnings can be claimed. Remember: if you didn’t enter a contest or raffle, you can’t win. You also can’t enter another country’s lottery without purchasing a ticket from within that country. In Canada, if there are fees associated to a prize, they will be deducted from the total winnings.
Emergency
- An unexpected and frantic call claiming to be from a loved one in the hospital or in jail. They won’t be able to make it home for the holidays... unless you bail them out and send money urgently. Resist the impulse the act immediately. Ask questions to verify the person’s identity or reach out to your loved one to confirm the false setup.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. Even if you're not the victim, you can still report it to the CAFC.
