Knowledge is power when it comes to recent fraud scams.
That’s according to the Saskatoon Police Service which says the way to protect yourself is to be knowledgeable about what’s happening out there.
Some fraudsters are posting on employment websites.
They would hire the victim, send them cheques for a large sum, purportedly for office supplies, then ask for the cheques to be cashed and a portion of the funds be sent back through crypto-currency.
In the meantime, the cheques bounce and the victim is left with the bills.
Another scam that has been around for a few years, with different versions is the extortion emails where fraudsters pose as government officials and say you are part of an internal audio and you owe a lot of money, then request to be paid by crypto-currency.
Some Other Scams:
Homes for Rent Scam – Fraudsters post photos of homes for rent on Kijiji or Facebook, tricking potential renters in providing an up-front damage deposit, when the house is in actually not for rent but vacant or for sale.
Items for Sale over the Internet – Fraudsters use a variety of websites to sell items over the Internet. Buyers that have interest in the items for sale are requested to send an up-front deposit. These fraudsters then cut ties with the buyer after receiving the deposit and are never heard from again.
Tax/RCMP, Police Services, Government Agency Scam – When receiving, either by telephone, mail, email, or text message that claims to from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requesting personal information about your social insurance number, credit card number, banking information, or passport number. The CRA, Government Agencies, RCMP, and Police Services in Canada will never demand immediate payment by Interac e-transfer, bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards from retailers such as Amazon, iTunes, or others.
Saskatoon Citizens are reminded to:
-Protect your social insurance number. Don’t use it as a piece of ID.
-Pay attention your billing cycle and ask about missing account statements or suspicious transactions.
-Shred unwanted documents.
-Carry only the ID you need.
-Ask a trusted neighbour to pick up your mail when you are away/ Don’t post online you are going away on holidays, etc.
Scams can be reported to the Saskatoon Police Service here or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre can be contacted at 1-888-495-8501, or here.
