March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, a month-long crime prevention initiative aimed at educating and informing consumers and the community on how to recognize, report, and stop fraud. Throughout the month, the Medicine Hat Police Service Community Support Unit will be sharing information on how to recognize and prevent citizens from becoming victims of common frauds and scams. This week’s focus is on online frauds.
Online frauds remain very prevalent as we continue to expand the ways we communicate on the internet. When we are not communicating face-to-face, it often makes it more difficult to determine if we are being targeted by a scam.
Romance scams, as spoken about in week 1, prey on people longing for friendship and relationships. They will often convince the victim to send money for any reason that will be accepted by the victim.
Online marketplace scams take advantage of unknowing internet shoppers. Scammers will post a photo of an item (that may or may not exist) for sale. They will request partial or full payment for the item prior to arranging a meeting with the buyer. They buyer will show up at the meeting place and the suspects are nowhere to be seen, and the advertisements are quickly removed.
Lottery/Prize scams are another type of fraud often found online. Scammers will send mass emails advising the recipient that they have won a cash prize or an item of significant value. They will request credit card or banking information to deposit the funds, or they may request a cash deposit, wire transfer, or e-transfer in order to hold the prize for the victim. Once they receive banking or credit card information, they will attempt to withdraw funds from the accounts. The prize is never sent to the victim, and the money sent to the suspects is frequently not traceable.
In some cases, scammers will contact victims advising them of an issue with their computer files or computer accounts stating that they are a technology repair company. They may convince the victim to allow them to remotely access their computer or device. Once they gain access the suspects will attempt to retrieve banking information and passwords which are then used to withdraw money from the victim’s accounts.
In general, no legitimate company will request someone to send money, gift card codes, or deposit into crypto currencies. The sad truth is that many of the scammers are across borders and once the money is e-transferred, money ordered, provided through gift card codes, or deposited into a crypto currency account, it is gone for good and extremely difficult to investigate and hold anyone accountable. Beware of communication from any company that you have not previously been a customer, especially if it is not a local business that you are familiar with. It is recommended that you conduct research on a company prior to hiring them. The Better Business Bureau is a great resource, as well as word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted friends or family.
Communicate with people you trust if you think you may be involved in some type of scam, know that you can’t win anything you don’t apply to win, and remember that when things appear to good to be true, they likely are.
Media Contact: Sgt. Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
Ph: 403-529-8451