April 18, 2023 at 12:34 am
The South Bruce OPP has again warned the public about the dangers of online scams.
The latest warning comes after an “application scam” took hold in South Bruce. Grant applications filled out online turned out to be fake, but scammers managed to defraud victims of $3,000. This is one of many examples of online scams that are becoming more common, and there are many unwitting victims who keep falling into these traps.
Online scammers are constantly coming up with new tricks to lure victims. These include:
-cheat. It may appear to be a contact from a friend, a legitimate company, or even a government department, but it is not. They can manipulate the caller ID to show the number they want. Avoid scams; end calls and connect with real people, companies, governments. If it’s an email, hover over the replay and see the email address displayed.
-urgent. “Act Now”, “Limited Time Offer”, “Click Now”. Scammers don’t want you to view an offer as suspicious. Avoid scams; time is on your side. Verify contacts before you continue.
-Emotional manipulation. Scammers will use your emotions to make money. Romance scam, emergency scam, grandparent scam, charity scam. Avoid scams; be skeptical when they play with your emotions. Check the Anti-Fraud Center’s AZ Scam Index, maybe this is a listed scam.
-pop up. A box that appears on the screen of your computer or device. “You won a lottery”, “Your device was infected”, etc. We have provided a toll-free number for you to call. Avoid scams; install antivirus software, popup blockers, clear cache, block cookies – if possible. Don’t use public Wi-Fi – especially for online banking. Never call the number in the pop-up window.
The South Bruce OPP gives you some tips to help protect you from scammers:
– If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
– Remember, you can’t win a race you didn’t start with.
– If you are in any doubt about your computer, take it to a reputable repair shop for repair.Don’t provide remote access to “techniques” that call you out of the blue
-Gift cards are a red flag. If someone contacts you and directs you to buy a gift card, you need to hang up.
– Your best defense is to authenticate any unsolicited contact. Unsolicited means you didn’t ask for it.
Anyone interested in more information about the fraud can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center at 1-888-495-8501 or inquire online http://www.antifraudcentre.ca/.