Fraud-Related Articles

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has an excellent website that speaks to the various way, you as a tax-paying citizen can prevent being caught in a CRA scam.

<< Taxpayers should be vigilant when they receive, either by telephone, mail, text message or email, a fraudulent communication that claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requesting personal information such as a social insurance number, credit card number, bank account number, or passport number.

These scams may insist that this personal information is needed so that the taxpayer can receive a refund or a benefit payment. Cases of fraudulent communication could also involve threatening or coercive language to scare individuals into paying fictitious debt to the CRA.

Other communications urge taxpayers to visit a fake CRA website where the taxpayer is then asked to verify their identity by entering personal information. These are scams and taxpayers should never respond to these fraudulent communications or click on any of the links provided.>>

The York Regional Police have an excellent section of their website dedicated to Fraud Awareness and Prevention.

Check it out here.

Additionally, here are a few general guidelines that we as citizens should consider:

1. Nothing is free. If it sounds too good to be true, HANG-UP the phone without providing any personal information (and don't be afraid of being rude...just hang up!!
   
   
2. Nothing is free! If it sounds too good to be true, DELETE the email without responding and never provide any personal information. Your bank or credit card firm will NEVER call you to confirm personal information.
   
   
3. If you have CALL DISPLAY and see an unknown number, DON'T answer the call. Let it go to your voice mail and then listen to the message. The Canada Revenue Agency NEVER calls or emails you with threatening messages. Delete those voice messages and emails.
   
   
4. Beware of paper documents you might receive in the mail, asking for confirmation of personal information. NEVER fill in forms and return them in a pre-addressed envelope.  You might want to call the organization using the phone number YOU HAVE - not the one that is one the receive document.
   

On August 9, 2019, York Regional Police announced a $20 Million investment scheme fraud involving a firm called New Horizons Mortgage Investment Corporation.

For more information, checkout this Global News Report.

We all can agree that preventing fraud is far better than dealing with the aftermath of a fraud...whether it be in the corporate domain or that of an individual citizen.

The Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity maintains an excellent website, where you can learn about the current cybersecurity threats to Canada, as well as gain valuable knowledge as to how you can better protect yourself.

You might want to check it out today!

On July 29, 2019, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada announced that they have developed four new videos to help Canadians and businesses better understand and exercise their privacy rights. Check them out at:

https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/news-and-announcements/2019/an_190729/

Voice-activated, internet-connected personal assistants are all the rage these days. In a connected and digital global world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to protect your privacy.

One important concern when it comes to "smart home devices" is the degree to which they are listening. They obviously listen for any commands the user might utter, but what else is it taking in, and how could that put privacy at risk? The recent news that these devices - Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomePod, which an increasing number of folks are using, use -- are listening to us all the time, and are recording personal and sometimes intimate details about our lives...a sample of which are listened to by humans to improve the software... should be concerning.

Security vendor, Sophos, reminds us that "those who choose to use this technology can’t and shouldn’t expect 100% privacy.

And remember, no matter if it is an Android or Apple phone or watch, if you have turned on any of those personal assistants are (e.g., "Hey Siri" or "Hey Google")  then your Android phone & watch, or iPhone & Apple Watch are listening to everything and recording going on with and around you.

If not for the ability of Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomePod to listen, these things would become nothing more than door-stoppers and paperweights."

There are certainly things users can do to limit the risk of unintended consequences. Here are just a few examples:

• Not currently using your home device or don't need the phone's digital assistant? Mute it or turn it off in the device settings The mute/unmute button for the Amazon Echo for example, is right on top of the device. The “always listening” microphone will shut off until you’re ready to turn it back on.
• Don’t connect sensitive accounts to your device On more than a few occasions, daisy chaining multiple accounts together has ended in tears for the user.
• Erase old recordings If you use an Echo for example, then surely you have an Amazon account. If you go on Amazon’s website and look under “Manage my device” there’s a handy dashboard where you can delete individual queries or clear the entire search history.
  
• Tighten those Google settings If you use Google Home, you’re already aware of the search giant’s appetite for data collection. But Google does offer tools to tighten things up. Like the Echo, Google Home has a mute button and a settings page online, where you can grant or take away various permissions.

If you were caught in the recent Capital One breach (in Canada, Costco and Hudson Bay Company credit card holders are the most likely folks affected), you might find this Global News article helpful

https://globalnews.ca/news/5706918/capital-one-breach-new-social-insurance-number-sin/.

Please always be wary and skeptical when things don't seem right. Protect yourself.


https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/warning-issued-after-police-uncover-pizza-delivery-scam-1.4526320

Credit card fraud continues to be a significant issue for consumers and business alike. While one can't always prevent credit card fraud form happening, one can create some hurdles that make it tougher for someone to get hold of tour credit cards and card numbers. For example, treating your credit cards and card numbers as if they were cash - with a lot of care - is one way to prevent potential abuse.

The Federal Trade Commission of the United States has some suggestions as to what one can do to help keep your credit cards and numbers safe...

Incorporating a few practices into your daily routine can help keep your cards and account numbers safe. For example:

1. Keep a record of your account numbers, their expiration dates and the phone number to report fraud for each company in a secure place.
2. Don’t lend your card to anyone — even your children, friends, or roommates, and
   
3. Don’t leave your cards, receipts, or statements around your home or office. When you no longer need them, SHRED them before throwing them away.

Other fraud protection practices include:

• Don’t give your account number to anyone on the phone unless you’ve made the call to a company you know to be reputable. If you’ve never done business with them before, do an online search first for reviews or complaints.
• Carry your cards separately from your wallet. It can minimize your losses if someone steals your wallet or purse. And carry only the card you need for that outing.
• During a transaction, keep your eye on your card. Make sure you get it back before you walk away.
• Never sign a blank receipt. Draw a line through any blank spaces above the total.
• Save your receipts to compare with your statement.
• Open your bills promptly — or check them online often — and reconcile them with the purchases you’ve made.
• Report any questionable charges to the card issuer.
• Notify your card issuer if your address changes or if you will be traveling.
• Don’t write your account number on the outside of an envelope.
• Call the card issuer as soon as you realize your card has been lost or stolen. If you suspect that the card was used fraudulently, you may have to sign a statement under oath that you didn't make the purchases in question.
  

A recent report states that by next year almost half of the calls we receive on our mobile devices will be scam calls. These types of phone scams have been around for many years, but due to changes in technology, the criminals behind these scams are able to change and vary the methods they use to prey on their victims. Common phone scams include tax (IRS or CRA) scams, “Windows” scams, lottery or prize winning scams and others. Over the past many years there has been a dramatic increase in robocall scams, call spoofing scams and phone scams involving social engineering tactics. While these trends are somewhat disturbing, there are many things that one can do to protect themselves from being a victim.

Reactive Measures (if you get a spam call):