South Bruce OPP is shining light on how much Canadians have lost to scams as it marks Fraud Prevention Month.
Police say over the last three years, Canadians have been seeing a steady increase in the money lost to con artists.
In 2021, Canadians lost a reported $384 million to fraud, $530 million in 2022, and $554 million in 2023.
“Through the first two months of 2024, residents of Southern Bruce County have already lost $105,000 to cons and scams,” police say.
OPP say tech-savvy scammers are able to use technology to create convincing scams to trick you into sending money. They commonly use the name of a real company or a person’s name you recognize to gain your trust in an effort to trick you into sending money or personal information.
To help prevent becoming a victim, police are offering these tips:
-If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
-Remember that you can’t win a contest that you didn’t enter in the first place.
-If you have a concern about your computer, take it to a reputable repair shop for service and never provide remote access to someone who calls you out of the blue.
-Gift cares are a red flag. If someone contacts you and directs you to guy gift cards, you need to hang up the phone.
-Your best defence is to verify any unsolicited contact.
Police say fraud is a multi-million-dollar enterprise and will only end when it stops making money.
More information on scams can be found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website here or by calling 1-888-495-8501.
