What can you do to protect yourself?

Check out the below tips from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre:

• Say No! – scammers often use emotion or high-pressure tactics to create a sense of urgency so potential victims don’t have time to look into things, get a second opinion, or simply sleep on it. Ask for information in writing and don’t be afraid to hang up or say no.
• Do your research – if someone is claiming to be a relative in trouble or a first responder taking care of a loved one, call other family members to confirm this information
• Don’t give out personal information – exercise caution when a caller asks for your name, birthdate, address, credit card or banking information. Never give out your social insurance number.
• Watch out for upfront fees – it’s illegal for companies to ask for fees before giving you a loan and there are no fees or taxes for prizes in Canada.
• Protect your computer – watch out for pop up ads while browsing online and never click links or call the phone number shown; install anti-virus software and keep it up to date; and don’t give anyone remote access to your computer, take it in for repairs.
• Don’t share images – consider who you share images with and don’t perform any explicit acts online. Disable your webcam and any camera connected to the internet when not in use; hackers can access it remotely and record you.
• Protect online accounts – use strong passwords at least 8 characters long with a mix of upper and lowercase letters, at least one number, and a symbol. Create a different password for each account and enable multi-factor authentication. Be sure to log into your accounts from a trusted source.
• Educate yourself about current scams to recognize signs. Check out: Get Cyber Safe, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and the RCMP’s Seniors Guidebook to Safety and Security – Fraud and Scams.