Fraud and Identity Theft

Fraud Prevention Checklist (courtesy of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre)

  • Is the call unsolicited? Was it expected or out of the blue?
  • Are they asking you to confirm personal information such as name, address, or account details?
  • Are they looking for a fast or instant response?
  • Are they asking for money?
  • Is the caller avoiding using the actual name of the company or financial institution?
  • Are they offering you a prize, free gift, or trial?
  • Are they claiming to be the police or investigating something?
  • Does the email have an odd email address?
  • Is the formatting strange or are there spelling mistakes?
  • Are you being asked to change your password despite not sending a request to do so?

Fraud: Recognize, Reject, Report

Recognize 

Many frauds today are designed to play on a potential victims' emotions and get them to respond without thinking. They attempt to illicit responses based on panic, fear, desperation, elation, or love, which are often escalated by presenting urgent situations requiring immediate action. The slogan for fraud prevention is geared toward citizens in Canada to slow down and not react to potential fraud solicitations. We encourage people to Recognize that fraudsters are using every means at their disposal to target them; telephone, email, text messaging, social media, internet, and mail. We ask that they change how they react to unsolicited offers or demands.
Reject 

Rejecting fraud involves protecting your personal information and money. We want people to slow down, to think about and assess the situation before reacting. This can involve saying no, doing due diligence, researching and confirming information, and talking to friends and family members.
Report 

Reporting fraud means speaking up, even when no money was lost. Like other crimes, if fraud is not reported, we don’t know what is happening and therefore we can't warn other people or help disrupt it.

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