It’s tax time and that often means reports of fraud increase for the Prince George RCMP this time of year.
Now a near-daily occurrence attempts to defraud people of their money are as diverse as the people who receive them according to the detachment.
“The message we want people to hear is: just don’t,” said Community Policing Coordinator, Linda Parker.
“Don’t engage with the anonymous caller; don’t follow the link in an email; don’t respond to the text message. Always contact the parent company yourself to verify the information is correct.”
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The Canadian Anti-fraud Centre has these tips for people to protect themselves from fraudulent schemes:
- Don’t be intimidated by emotional pleas that play on your emotions
- Always verify that the organization you are dealing with is legitimate before taking action
- Do your research by verifying charities with the Canada Revenue Agency
- Verify any calls with your credit card company by calling the phone number on the back of your card
- Don’t give out personal information
- Protect your computer by having anti-virus software installed and up-to-date
- Be careful who you share images with
- Protect your online accounts by using strong passwords
If you are the victim of fraud, stay calm. Here are some important steps to follow:
- Gather all the information about the fraud, including documents, receipts and copies of emails or text messages
- Contact your financial institutions and report the incident to the financial institution that transferred the money
- Place flags on your accounts and change all of your passwords
- Report the fraud to both credit bureaus (Equifax and TransUnion)
- Report the incident to your local police and get a file number for future reference
- Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or through the Fraud reporting System