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March Is Fraud Prevention Month

March is Fraud Prevention Month! The South Simcoe Police Service will be sharing prevention tips and highlighting frauds circulating in our communities.

The theme for this year’s campaign is  “20 years of fighting fraud: from then to now,” and will shed light on how fraudsters’ old tricks have now been refined with the use of technology. The campaign aims to help Canadians recognize warning signs, reject suspicious claims and report fraud to the authorities.

Recent numbers from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are concerning. In 2023 alone, Canadians lost a staggering $567 million – an increase of $37 million from 2022 and $187 million since 2021. Despite this rise in financial losses, the rate of frauds being reported remains low, with only 5% to 10% reported.

Quick Facts from the CAFC about frauds in 2023:

How fraudsters use technology:

Fraudsters will create spoofed websites, will use spoofed telephone numbers using Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) to mimic legitimate numbers, will have victims download remote entry software providing access to devices and computers or send out phishing texts pretending to be businesses or governments offering refunds.

How to protect yourself from frauds and scams:

Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it is.  Always report fraud and fraud attempts to police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

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