Be on your guard for online scams

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This article was published 11/10/2024 (698 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s an all-too-frequent refrain.

People — often seniors — getting taken advantage of by online fraudsters. There are so many potential scams pouring into your email and social media accounts, it’s hard to avoid running into them almost daily.

Government programs that will send you money, if you only cover the up-front fees with gifts cards. Something that looks like the phone company, demanding payment for services. A misspelled clone of Canada Post, asking for your personal details for a mysterious undeliverable “package” they’re holding. A fake call or email from the Canada Revenue Agency, threatening fines and interest. A lawyer for a deceased and brand-new-to-you distant relative, wanting to hand over millions in inheritance. Even something as simple as someone giving away a piano for free … anything to get you to hand over personal information or cash.

Someone claiming to be a fellow church member reached out over Facebook to tell Winnipeg couple Henry and Mary Braun that there was a federal program offering tax-free, $150,000 grants for seniors. The fraudster connected the couple with a fake federal employee, who told the couple to use Apple product gift cards to pay processing fees. They lost $32,000 of their retirement savings.

How can you reduce your risk?

Most importantly, don’t rush into anything, especially over the web. Don’t send money. Don’t share personal information.

And, if you’re thinking of taking someone up on a supposed money-making opportunity, talk about what’s on the table first with family and friends.

Ryan Braun said he wishes he’d had a chance to talk to his parents about what they were offered.

“My parents, because English is their second language, they didn’t really know about this kind of stuff and — unfortunately — we, as their kids, never talked to them about this. That is one of my biggest regrets,” he said. “If someone is telling you about this great grant that you’re eligible for, make sure you talk to family members and make sure this is legitimate. If they say don’t talk to family members, that is the biggest red flag.”

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says that, by the end of June, Canadians had lost $284 million to fraud so far this year, affecting 15,941 victims. The numbers are probably higher than that, as some people, embarrassed by their own mistakes, simply choose to stay silent about their losses.

A variety of police forces make plenty of suggestions about concrete steps you can take. Never scan QR Codes from an unknown source, for example.

Ensure that your social media profiles are at the highest privacy levels and limit sharing personal details on social media — because knowledge of those details by fraudsters can be used to gain your confidence or trust.

Be suspicious of any unsolicited messages or social media requests that accuse you of owing money for a service you never used or planned to have, or that offer you money.

Don’t send money under pressure. Don’t reply to threatening messages. Don’t assume that someone claiming to be your bank — either online or on the phone — is who they say they are.

If someone asks you to buy gift cards to pay for fees, don’t — gift card purchases are an easy way for scammers to take your money without leaving a trail that law enforcement can follow later.

Beware of calls claiming to be from family members, or calls requiring you to take immediate or urgent action — AI is giving fraudsters even more tools to scam you, include matching voices.

And this is only a part of a very long list.

The old adage is a true one: if something seems too good to be true, it is.