Police push back during Fraud Prevention Month
Tricking people out of their money is as old as time. However, the advent of the internet has made it even easier for fraudsters to steal your money, according to South Bruce OPP Constable Kevin Martin.
“At the end of the day, fraud isn’t new. What is new is, they’re winning,” said Martin.
Two years ago, fraudsters swindled Canadians out of $383 million dollars. Last year, that number jumped 40% to $530 million.
“When you factor in the unreported, that number is astronomical,” explained Martin.
In the Municipality of South Bruce alone, which includes communities like Walkerton, Ont. and Kincardine, Ont., $89,000 has been lost to scammers this year.
Martin said if an offer or phone call or email sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
He added that you can't win a contest that you didn't enter in the first place.
Gift cards are a red flag. If someone contacts you and directs you to buy gift cards, you need to hang up the phone.
“I can’t beat them myself. I need everybody joining together. I need everyone on that line, as a deputy, if you will. That’s because the only way to beat these con artists is to stop paying them. Like a legitimate business that thrives on money, so do they. When they stop making money, hopefully they’ll get a real job,” he said.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the top five frauds based on dollar loss last year were:
- Investment/cryptocurrency scams, $308.6 million lost
- Romance scams, $59 million lost
- Spear phishing scams, $58.1 million lost
- Service scams, $20.6 million lost
- Extortion scams, $19 million lost
March is Fraud Prevention Month across Canada.
“Please, please, please, for March, and all year around, make sure you are aware, make sure you are not paying these con artists, because they’re winning, and we can’t have that as a society. They are taking way too much of our hard-earned money,” said Martin.
You can learn more through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Members of West Region OPP will be holding a news conference in London, Ont. on Wednesday March 22 to discuss the increasing prevalence of the “grandparent scam,” where fraudsters pose as grandchildren in trouble to try to make quick money off of caring and confused grandparents.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.