Rimmi Purewal, Mission RCMP
It is safe to say that scam emails and phone calls are on the rise, and it’s becoming easier and easier to orchestrate fraud from all over the world. From phone call scams stating there is a warrant out for your arrest, to email scams posing as reputable agencies to lure victims for personal information.
As of November 30th, 2020, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported a total of 47,318 reports of fraud; 21,658 victims of fraud; and $89.1 million lost to fraud in 2020!
Protect Yourself (and others)
It is imperative to protect yourself from becoming a target of these scams. Use caution and use all available resources to help avoid scams.
(1) Start with contacting your service provider (e.g. Telus) to see what protection services they have available to their customers, and can be added to your account. Be sure to understand how these services work and how they will better protect you from scams.
(2) Next, keep strong and unique passwords for your accounts and avoid clicking on any unusual or suspicious emails. Consider “two-factor authentication” as an extra security measure.
(3) When checking emails, scan the content with diligence ahead of time, you will thank yourself later! If the email address seems off or if you are unsure of why you have received a certain email – do not click on any links or download any attachments.
(4) If you receive a call asking for any personal information – avoid giving that information regardless of where the caller states they are calling from. If they claim to be calling from a banking institution, government agency etc. – hang up and call them yourself using the secure line they have available and do your follow up.
(5) Most importantly, report any fraud or scams to your local police agency and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Stay safe everyone!