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
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confirms his party will support the Liberals' federal budget
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will support the federal budget, ending any speculation that the party could pull out of its deal with the minority Liberal government.
Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors
Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan.