Winnipeg Police Service

Protecting passwords and security questions

In the modern age we use passwords for almost everything we do online. By taking the following steps you can better protect your online accounts:

Cryptocurrency fraud is on the rise

By now, we have all heard of cryptocurrency. The term has been in the Oxford English Dictionary since 2014. Most people have had a conversation or two about Bitcoin, Ethereum or Dogecoin. However, the familiarity of the words is not enough to remove the mystery behind cryptocurrency. The dichotomy of known versus unknown has not gone unnoticed by fraud actors, who have incorporated cryptocurrency in most fraud schemes for years.

The deal of a lifetime?

For most people, buying a vehicle will be their biggest investment — next to purchasing a home. With some used vehicles valued at over $50,000, purchasers need to be vigilant and research before they buy a used car. While buying a used vehicle could save you thousands of dollars, it also comes with risks.

If it seems like a steal, it might be

See a cheap brand-new iPhone for sale on an online classified site? Or maybe you’re selling an item and the buyer tries to send you a cheque for $1,000 more than the price you’re asking for. Is it legitimate?

Beware of unusual payment methods

Unusual payment methods, are exactly that – unusual. When you are asked to provide an unusual form of payment you should be very cautious about proceeding.

Many fraudsters prey on seniors

Scams are ever-evolving crimes and people of all ages can be targeted — but seniors do seem to be targeted more often than others. Some of the reasons are that they are often home during the day to answer the door or phone, they can be more trusting, they may not be as familiar with technology and they may not have family or friends close by to ask for a second opinion.

Fraudsters, the individuals behind scams, are very creative and can come up with different stories to get your money. Some of the most common scams include contacting you saying there is a problem with your bank account or tax return; telephoning or using the mail to try to get you to donate money to a fake charity; calling you to say a grandchild is in trouble and needs you to wire money; and even impersonating another senior who is lonely and looking for love and then asking you to send money so the two of you can be together.

With the constant evolution of technology, more and more luring is occurring via email and text messaging on personal devices including phones, tablets and computers. Often these messages it is very difficult to detect if these messages are fraudulent offers and the recipients feel like they or their personal accounts may be in danger if they do not follow the instructions or links.

As a senior, there are many ways you can protect yourself from scams like the ones above. Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Here are some helpful tips to consider:

Beware of online romance scams

In today’s world of technology, people can connect in a myriad of ways. For most, connecting with someone on the internet is harmless but for others a chance encounter leaves a wake of destruction that can never be forgotten.

When you mix a vulnerable heart, the internet and a criminal mind, it is a recipe for what police call a romance scam. In 2020, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 1,548 complaints of romance scams, which resulted in losses of over $28 million dollars.

How does this happen? The victim usually meets the fraudster through a social networking or dating site. Fraudsters have demonstrated perseverance and a willingness to develop relationships over long periods of time to build trust. They embed themselves into the victim’s life to manipulate them and gain access to money, bank accounts, and credit cards. The fraudsters will misrepresent themselves by sending appealing images of other people to bolster their identity profile and seduce their victims. Good trusting people from all walks of life, just looking for companionship, let down their guard and get taken in with promises of love, riches and even marriage.

In some cases, the fraudster claims to be living overseas. Promises to meet the victim in person are made to keep the victim interested. When it is time to meet, they come up with a multitude of excuses for why they are unable to travel. Stories of family illnesses, business ventures gone wrong or problems with government processes are just a few. At some point, the fraudster always seeks financial assistance from the victim.

Beware of offers, requests involving Bitcoin

Bitcoin, the most popular of more than 16,000 cryptocurrencies currently available, is one of the biggest newsmakers in the finance world.

Unfortunately, for all the good that has come from it, there have been negative stories of its use in scams. In Manitoba alone, a large amount of people have fallen victim to various scams including romance scams, Canada Revenue Agency scams, and job opportunity scams, where fraudsters are having victims send them money in the form of Bitcoin. In 2020, fraudsters obtained millions of dollars from innocent Canadian victims.

Each scam relies on the fraudster gaining the trust of the victim and depending on the scam, the victim’s desire to obtain something for themselves or to provide assistance to another person. When the victim agrees to send the funds, the fraudster directs them to a Bitcoin ATM, provides a code to the fraudster’s digital wallet and instructs the victim to deposit money to that digital wallet. Once the money is deposited, that transaction essentially cannot be reversed and the victim is almost always out the money which they deposited.

To protect yourself from scams involving Bitcoin or cryptocurrency payment, there are several rules you should follow:

Be on alert for investment scams

High return/ low risk investments, guaranteed return investments, unsolicited exclusive investment opportunity…

It seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Investment scams are quickly becoming one of the most prominent scams in Canada. In 2020 Canadians lost over $33 million dollars to these scams. In only the first nine months of 2021, this number increased to over $88 million in Canada.

Scammers will make contact with victims in a number of ways, including unsolicited phone calls, emails, text messages and via various social media platforms. Some will even utilize a technique known as “affinity fraud” to embed themselves within a community, establishing relationships they will then exploit to get victims to invest into their schemes.

How to avoid identity theft

Imagine that one day you start receiving phone calls from creditors. You’re confused because you always pay your bills on time. You’ve never even held accounts with the companies the creditors are calling about.This is how people often find out that they have been victims of identity fraud. Having the outstanding bills affects your credit rating and can make purchasing a vehicle or house next to impossible.Protecting yourself from identity theft requires a two-pronged approach:1. Stop the scam artists from obtaining your identity information;2. Check the accounts held in your name to ensure there are not any accounts you have not opened.Stopping scam artists from obtaining your identity information can be as simple as not losing your identification or giving it to people you don’t know. Identity information includes your name, date of birth, address, phone number, bank account and/or credit card numbers and your social insurance number. You can protect your information by:• Only carrying the identification that you need. People rarely need to carry their social insurance cards or birth certificates;• Shredding all paperwork and old cards;• Not giving your information to people that call you. If you didn’t initiate the call you don’t know who you’re actually speaking to;• Ensuring your electronic devices have virus protection software installed;• Being careful online. Phishing emails are very successful. A phishing email is an email that presents as a legitimate company which needs you to verify your information. Unbeknownst to you the information is actually being entered into a scam artist’s site.Unfortunately, even if you are vigilant with your identity information, it is possible for it to be compromised. In the past few years there have been data breaches whereby a company or the government inadvertently releases information or is attached online and its system is compromised.In order to combat this, you should check your credit reports. Every year Canadian credit agencies are required to provide you with one free consumer disclosure report upon your request. It will show all of your credit accounts, such as credit cards, personal loans, vehicle loans or cell phone contracts. Once you review the document you will know if there are any unauthorized accounts opened in your name. The two Canadian credit agencies are:• Equifax1-800-465-7166www.consumer.equifax.ca• Transunion1-800-663-9980www.transunion.caFor further information go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website atwww.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/fraud-escroquerie/identity-identite-eng.htm— March is Fraud Prevention Month, so Canstar Community News is running stories from the Winnipeg Police Service which outline common fraud schemes and offer tips on how to avoid them.

Beware of online buy-and-sell scams

Online classifieds have become very popular for people wanting to sell items or those looking for a “good deal”.

Every year hundreds of people are scammed in Manitoba. Two of the most common types of scams are the “prepayment” scam and the “overpayment” scam.

In the advance payment scam, fraudsters advertise items that get people excited, such as a rare breed of puppies, a vintage car or any item at a very low price. Victims are asked to send money as a deposit or to “hold” the item. They then send money to a person they have never met and communication abruptly ends.   

Guess what? The seller never had the item and your money is gone. You need to determine if an online ad is legitimate before arranging any payment. After all, how hard is it to post an ad with some pictures?

Protect yourself from identity fraud

Imagine that one day you start receiving phone calls from creditors. You’re confused because you always pay your bills on time. You’ve never even held accounts with the companies the creditors are calling about.  

This is how people often find out that they have been victims of identity fraud. The outstanding bills affect your credit rating and can make purchasing a vehicle or house next to impossible.

Protecting yourself from identity theft requires a two-pronged approach:

1. Stop the scam artists from obtaining your identity information;

Beware of scammers asking for Bitcoin

Bitcoin, the most popular of the over 1,300 cryptocurrencies, is currently one of the biggest newsmakers in the financial world. Unfortunately, for all the good that has come from it, there have been negative stories of its use in scams.

In Manitoba alone, a large amount of people have fallen victim to various scams including romance scams, Canada Revenue Agency scams and job opportunity scams, whereby fraudsters are asking victims to send them money in the form of Bitcoin. In 2019, fraudsters obtained $7.5 million from innocent Canadian victims.

Each scam relies on the fraudster gaining the trust of the victim and, depending on the scam, the victim's desire to obtain something for themselves or to provide assistance to another person. When the victim agrees to the send the funds, the fraudster directs them to send the money from a Bitcoin ATM to the fraudster's digital wallet. Once the money is sent to the fraudster's digital wallet that money cannot be retrieved due to how Bitcoin transactions work.

To protect yourself from scams involving Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency payments, there are several rules you should follow:

Beware of these extortion scams

Many people receive unsolicited telephone calls and email messages from people who are unknown to them.  

While some of these contacts may have a legitimate purpose, fraudsters also contact people via telephone call, text message or email in an attempt to scam them. In 2020, the most reported type of scam in Manitoba was the ‘extortion scam’, which resulted in a total $1.9 million loss to unsuspecting Manitobans.

In order to prevent falling victim yourself, it is important to know what extortion scams are and what steps you can take to protect yourself and your personal information.

Extortion scams are when fraudsters use coercion, such as threats or scare tactics to obtain money or information from victims.  

Watch out for online romance scams

In today’s technological world, people are able to connect in ways we never could in the past. For most people, connecting with someone on the internet is harmless but for others, a chance encounter leaves a wake of destruction that can never be forgotten. A vulnerable heart, the internet and a criminal mind is a recipe for what police call a ‘romance scam.’ In 2019, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 975 complaints of romance scams which resulted in losses of over $18.3 million. Because March is fraud awareness month, it is important to make people aware of these things.How does this happen?  The victim usually meets the fraudster through social networking or dating sites.  Fraudsters have demonstrated perseverance and a willingness to develop relationships over long periods of time to build trust. They imbed themselves into the victim’s life to manipulate them and gain access to money, bank accounts, and credit cards. The fraudsters will misrepresent themselves by sending appealing images of other people to bolster their identity profiles and seduce their victims. Good, trusting people from all walks of life, simply looking for companionship, let down their guards and are taken in by promises of love, riches and even marriage. In some cases, the fraudster claims to be living overseas. Promises to meet the victim in person are made in order to keep the victim interested. When it is time to meet, the fraudsters come up with a multitude of reasons for being unable to travel — stories of family illness, business ventures gone wrong, or problems with government processes are just a few. At some point, the fraudster seeks financial assistance from the victim. If the victim does not have funds readily available, the fraudster offers to have a third party send a cheque for deposit or an electronic deposit to the victim’s personal bank account. This is usually followed by instructions to withdraw the money and utilize a fast-money transfer company to wire the money. By the time the victim discovers a problem with the cheque or becomes suspicious, the money is usually long gone, leaving the victim heartbroken and in some cases penniless.   For more information on warning signs or how to protect yourself, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website at www.antifraudcentre.ca  — Courtesy of Winnipeg Police Service 

In today’s technological world, people are able to connect in ways we never could in the past. For most people, connecting with someone on the internet is harmless but for others, a chance encounter leaves a wake of destruction that can never be forgotten. 

A vulnerable heart, the internet and a criminal mind is a recipe for what police call a ‘romance scam.’ In 2019, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 975 complaints of romance scams which resulted in losses of over $18.3 million.

Be wary of Bitcoin transactions

Bitcoin, the most popular of the over 1,300-plus cryptocurrencies, is currently one of the biggest newsmakers in the finance world. Unfortunately for all the good that has come from it, there have been negative stories of its use in scams. In Manitoba alone, a large amount of people have fallen victim to various scams including romance scams, CRA scams, and job opportunity scams, where fraudsters are having victims send them money in the form of Bitcoin. In 2019, fraudsters obtained $7.5 million from innocent Canadian victims.Each scam relies on the fraudster gaining the trust of the victim and depending on the scam, the victim’s desire to obtain something for themselves or to provide assistance to another person. When a victim agrees to send funds, the fraudster directs them to send the money from a Bitcoin ATM to the fraudster’s digital wallet. Once the money is sent to the fraudster’s digital wallet that money cannot be retrieved due to how Bitcoin transactions work. To protect yourself from scams involving Bitcoin or cryptocurrency payment, there are several rules you should follow:• Never send money through a Bitcoin ATM to a digital wallet for someone you do not know or have not met in person; • Never pay for outstanding bills by sending money through a Bitcoin ATM. Government agencies, including the CRA, do not accept Bitcoin as a form of payment;• Never transfer funds through a Bitcoin ATM that you have received by cheque or e-transfer until the funds have officially cleared your account. This can take several days or more. If there are issues with a cheque or an e-transfer, it can take weeks before it is returned as fraudulent;• Before considering paying any person or business through a Bitcoin ATM, it is best to familiarize yourself with what Bitcoin is and how it works. Research on the internet can help you detect potential scams involving Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency. A helpful resource is the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. It has up-to-date information about new trends in frauds and scams, including those that involve Bitcoin payment. For more information visit www.antifraudcentre.ca• March is Fraud Prevention Month and the Winnipeg Police Service was to hold its seventh annual Shred It event at St. Vital Centre and CF Polo Park. The events were scheduled for March 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. However, both events have been postponed. 

Bitcoin, the most popular of the over 1,300-plus cryptocurrencies, is currently one of the biggest newsmakers in the finance world.

Unfortunately for all the good that has come from it, there have been negative stories of its use in scams. In Manitoba alone, a large amount of people have fallen victim to various scams including romance scams, CRA scams, and job opportunity scams, where fraudsters are having victims send them money in the form of Bitcoin. In 2019, fraudsters obtained $7.5 million from innocent Canadian victims.

Tips for seniors who may be scammed

Scams are an ever-evolving crime and persons of all ages can be targeted, however seniors seem to be targeted more often than others. This is because seniors are often home during the day to answer the door or phone, they can be more trusting, they may not be as familiar with technology and they may not have family or friends close by to ask for a second opinion.

Con artists are very creative and can come up with different stories to get your money.

Some of the most common scams include: contacting you saying there is a problem with your bank account or tax return; phoning or using the mail to try and get you to donate money to a fake charity; calling you to say your grandchild is in trouble and that you need to wire money to get that relative out of trouble; and some even impersonate another senior who is lonely and looking for love and then ask you to send money so the two of you can be together.

With the constant evolution of technology, more and more luring is occurring via email and text messaging on personal devices including phones, tablets and computers.

Make sure online sellers and buyers are legit

Online classified sites have become very popular for people wanting to sell items or wanting a “good deal”. But every year hundreds of people are scammed in Manitoba via these sites. Two of the most common types of scams are the ‘prepayment’ scam and the ‘overpayment’ scam.

In the prepayment scam, people advertise items that get people excited — a rare breed of puppies, a vintage car or any item at a very low price. Victims are asked to send money as a deposit or to “hold” the item. Victims send money to a person they have never met and communication then abruptly ends.

Guess what? The seller never had the item and your money is gone. You need to determine if the ad is legitimate before arranging any payment. After all, how hard is it to post an ad with some pictures?The overpayment scam involves people responding to an ad you have posted with an offer to pay the full asking price plus shipping to their location.  

Then they send you a cheque for more than the amount agreed to.  The buyer then asks that you return the overpayment, usually several hundred dollars. Be suspicious if someone you don’t know asks you to send them money to return money they “accidentally” sent you. The cheque they have sent you will be either stolen or counterfeit and will not clear, leaving you out the money you “returned.”

Be wary about sending money as Bitcoin

Bitcoin, the most popular of the more than 1,300 cryptocurrencies, is currently one of the biggest newsmakers in the finance world.

Unfortunately, for all the good that has come from Bitcoin, there have been negative stories of its use in scams.

In Manitoba alone, a large amount of people have fallen victim to schemes including romance scams, CRA scams and job opportunity scams wherein fraudsters are having victims send them money in the form of Bitcoin. In 2018, such fraudsters obtained $6.6 million from innocent Canadian victims.

Each scam relies on the fraudster gaining the trust of the victim and, depending on the scam, the victim’s desire to obtain something for themselves or to provide assistance to another person. When a victim agrees to send the funds, the fraudster directs them to send the money from a Bitcoin automated teller machine to the fraudster’s digital wallet. Once the money is sent to the fraudster’s digital wallet that money cannot be retrieved due to how Bitcoin transactions work.

Beware of online romance scammers

In today’s world of technology people are able to connect in ways we have never been able to in the past.

For most people, connecting with someone on the internet is harmless but for others, a chance encounter can leave a wake of destruction that will never be forgotten.

When you mix a vulnerable heart, the internet and a criminal mind it is a recipe for what police call a “romance scam.”

In 2018, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 1,076 complaints of romance scams. With over $22.5 million in dollars lost, romance scams are responsible for the largest revenue lost when compared to other scams.  

Seniors are often the target of fraudsters

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, and the Winnipeg Police Service is one of the local partners in a nationwide campaign to alert Canadians to many online scams and frauds.

Scams are an ever-evolving crime and persons of all ages can be targeted, however seniors seem to be targeted more often than others, as they are often home during the day to answer the door or phone, they can be more trusting, and because they may not have family or friends close by to ask for a second opinion.

Con artists, the individuals behind the scams, are very creative and can come up with different stories to get your money.

Some of the most common scams include — contacting you saying there is a problem with your bank account or tax return; calling or using the mail to get you to donate to a fake charity; or calling and saying that your grandchild is in trouble and that you need to wire money to get that relative out of trouble.

Keep your personal information secure

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, and the Winnipeg Police Service is one of the local partners in a nationwide campaign to alert Canadians to many online scams and frauds.

Identity fraud is a term that more and more Canadians are becoming familiar with as the number of these offences continues to rise. In 2017 Canadians lost almost $12 million to identity fraud.

Identity fraud starts with the stealing of an individual’s identity information. This can include things such as names, birth dates, bank account and credit card numbers and personal identification numbers.

One’s identity information can be stolen in any number of ways such as break-ins to vehicles, gym lockers and mailboxes, email phishing attacks, point-of-sale compromises and online harvesting.  

Beware of online ‘romance scams’

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, and the Winnipeg Police Service is one of the local partners in a nationwide campaign to alert Canadians to many online scams and frauds.

In today’s world of technology, people are able to connect in ways we never could.  For most people, connecting with someone on the internet is harmless but, for others, a chance encounter can leave a wake of destruction that can never be forgotten.

When you mix a vulnerable heart, the internet and a criminal mind you have the recipe for what police call a “romance scam.”

In 2017, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center received 1,075 complaints of romance scams. With $18,117,026.99 in dollars lost, romance scams are the second-largest scam going.  

Be on the lookout for Bitcoin fraudsters

Bitcoin, the most popular of the over 1,300+ cryptocurrencies, is currently one of the biggest newsmakers in the financial world.

Unfortunately for all the good that has come from it, there have been negative stories of its use in scams. In Manitoba alone, many people have fallen victim to various scams including romance, CRA and job opportunity scams, whereby fraudsters are having victims send them money in the form of Bitcoin. In 2017, fraudsters obtained $2.5 million from innocent Canadian victims.

Each scam relies on the fraudster gaining the trust of the victim and, depending on the scam, exploiting the victim’s desire to obtain something for themselves or to provide assistance to another person.

When the victim agrees to the send funds, the fraudster directs them to send money from a Bitcoin ATM to the fraudster’s digital wallet. Once the money is sent to the fraudster’s digital wallet, it cannot be retrieved due to how Bitcoin transactions work.