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The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Rackets Branch and its Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) partners are launching their annual Fraud Prevention Month campaign to help prevent Canadians from falling victim to fraud.
During the month of March, the OPP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, CAFC, Serious Fraud Office, the Competition Bureau of Canada and other partners are joining police services across the country to promote public awareness to help prevent all Canadians from becoming victims of fraud.
This year, the OPP Fraud Prevention Month education campaign will highlight four mass marketing fraud priorities as indicated by the CAFC:
- Advanced Fee Scam (Money Transfers)
- Phishing and Ransom Scam
- Romance Scam; and,
- E-commerce Scam
During the past year, Canadians have fallen victim to fraud’s destructive toll, causing losses totalling approximately $100 million, with Ontario victims losing approximately $45 million. Unfortunately, this only represents approximately five per cent of the fraud victims that report their crimes to police. Regardless of age, gender or location, everyone can take basic steps to better protect themselves from becoming a victim of fraud. Some basic tips include never giving out personal or financial information at the door, over the phone, by e-mail or through social media, or on to unsecured retail or dating websites. If you do fall victim to a scam, individuals are urged to continue to report these scams to police even if a financial transaction did not occur.
Fraud Prevention Month is about the fraud prevention community working together to create greater awareness and to highlight the various ways that all Canadians are being targeted by fraud. By emphasizing the education component, Canadians can be better prepared.
The OPP will be posting tips and links to various resources online. The public is encouraged to engage in the conversation to help them recognize, reject and report fraud” on social media by using the hashtags #FPM2019 and CAFC’s new hashtag #knowfraud .
If you or someone you know suspect they’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your local police service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by phone or online by creating an account in the Fraud Reporting System (FRS).
QUOTE
“Victims of fraud can be left with devastating consequences, not only to their finances but to their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Protect yourself. If you fall prey to a scam, report it. The more we know about how these crimes are perpetuated, the better equipped we are to help protect innocent people and prosecute offenders.”- Detective Insp. Anne GOODWIN, OPP Anti-Rackets Branch
LEARN MORE
For more fraud facts and figures and a downloadable booklet (PDF), visit The Competition Bureau of Canada website at https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/home or by visitinghttp://www.opp.ca and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
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MEDIA NOTE: There will be four weekly OPP media releases on specific criminal activities with an emphasis on victim assistance as part of the Fraud Prevention Month campaign, beginning on Thursday, March 7, 2019 with Advanced Fee Scams (money transfers).
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