Recovery pitch
Fraud alert!
May 2, 2022: The RCMP in H Division issued a news release warning Canadians of a scam where the scammer is impersonating an RCMP officer.
Protect yourself and remember:
- Police do not inform individuals of an investigation by e-mail
- Never give personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn't expect
- If you have a feeling that something is not right, it is best to trust your gut and stop communicating with that person
- Government agencies or police forces will never demand gift cards or cryptocurrency for payment
- When in doubt contact the police or government agency by obtaining the phone number or e-mail from the official website
Scam medium:
- Phone and fax
- Email and text
Targeting:
- Individuals
If you've been a victim of a scam, scammers may target you again with a promise to get your money back.
Scammers will use a number of tactics to steal your financial information or convince you to send money.
Watch out for the following situations that have been reported to the CAFC:
- A previous victim of a tech support scam, who paid scammers a fee to remove an online threat, may get a call from "the company" and told that it's filing for bankruptcy and offering a refund on their services. They ask for access to your computer and for you to sign in to your online banking.
- You get an email claiming to be from a recognized company. The email asks you to call a phone number because "your payment couldn't be processed".
- You are contacted by someone claiming to be from a government department or law enforcement agency. They may ask for your help with a "sting" operation to take down scammers who stole your money.
- You are contacted by someone that says they have recovered your lost funds but to get them back you need to pay an advance fee.
Tips:
- Never be afraid to hang up the phone
- Never allow an unknown person to gain remote access to your computer/device
- Always have your computer/device serviced by a reputable local business
- Never pay an advance fee to obtain a refund
- Date modified: