The OPP Anti-Rackets Branch and its Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre partners are launching their annual Fraud Prevention Month campaign.
During the month of March, the OPP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), CAFC and the Competition Bureau of Canada 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:
- Spear Phishing;
- Romance Scam;
- Extortion; and,
- Service Scam.
During the past year, Canadians have fallen victim to fraud’s destructive toll, causing losses totalling approximately $97 million. Unfortunately, this figure only represents the losses related to the approximately five per cent of fraud victims who report the crime to police. Regardless of age, gender or location, everyone can take basic steps to better protect themselves from becoming a victim of fraud. Some tips include never giving out personal or financial information at the door, over the phone, by e-mail, through social media or via unsecured retail or dating websites. If you do fall victim to a scam, individuals are urged to continue to report them 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 and through its social media platforms. The public is encouraged to engage in the conversation to help recognize, reject and report fraud by using the hashtags #FPM2020 and CAFC’s 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).
For more fraud facts and figures and a downloadable booklet (PDF), visit The Competition Bureau of Canada website at competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/home or by visiting opp.ca and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
