Source: The Post
Scammers are constantly evolving, and they’re trying to find new ways (to defraud people). They are ramping up phone calls to speak directly to potential victims as Canadians become more aware of protecting themselves online.
Canadians can fight fraud by educating themselves to stay clear of scammers. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, a self-reported $98 million was lost to fraud last year.
The survey also found about 70% of Canadians have admitted to engaging in high-risk behaviours despite being savvy about scams.
Some of those habits include logging into their bank account using public wifi, not changing passwords regularly, and clicking on a link from an unknown source.
The survey also said seven in 10 Canadians want more information to protect themselves, which is an encouraging sign.
Jolicoeur, who has 18 years of experience in fraud investigation and prevention, has three tips to keep Canadian safe.
First, stop for a moment to think about the situation while following your instincts. You should never be pressured to provide personal information in a timely matter.
Next, scrutinize the information at hand and spot the techniques that fraudsters use to trick you into divulging sensitive data.
And finally, contact institutions through a different channel to confirm the validity of the request.
If you were fooled into giving up personal information, immediately contact the institution affected and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
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