March is Anti-Fraud Month, and the OPP are continuing to try and educate the public as much as possible about the pitfalls of common frauds and how to avoid becoming a victim.
Constable Krista Linthorne of the Grey Bruce OPP says since the start of this year through the beginning of March, they've had loads of calls about reported frauds in the area.
"We've received 72 fraud calls so far," said Linthorne. "Most of those are romance scams, grandparent scams, cryptocurrency is big right now, gift card scams — so people asking you to buy gift cards to pay off bills — and e-transfers for a purchase. Those are usually through your marketplace-type websites."
Linthorne stresses that people need to be wary of suspicious texts, calls or emails demanding money for an alleged "emergency," do research before investing in any type of cryptocurrency, and never give out financial information via phone call, text or email. She says those are a few ways people can do simple things to protect themselves from fraudsters.
"So if you get a phone call or a text message, not to let anyone pressure you into acting immediately if they're asking for money. Take your time, slow down, you're in control of your own information, so don't just readily give your information to anyone who calls you. Don't provide any personal information to anyone you do not know, either," Linthorne said.
If you do fall victim to a suspected fraud, Const. Linthorne stresses that there's some immediate steps you should take.
"If you've lost any money or given out any personal information, I would contact the credit bureau and your bank, to cancel any cards or put a freeze on your bank accounts. If you've lost money, definitely contact the police," she said.
If you haven't lost money but think you've picked out a scam attempt, you should contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and report it.
Const. Linthorne also notes that government agencies like the CRA, banks, and the police will never call or text you and request financial info, so don't fall for that. More tips on identifying scams and what to do if you feel you've been defrauded are available on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.