Don’t Fall Victim to Scams!
Don’t fall victim to Scams
In today’s information age, the internet has opened the door to many online scams. Receiving emails from other parts of the World from people you don’t know, asking for money is now common place. Even with their obvious successes online (they wouldn’t keep doing it if no one was falling victim) the scammers still utilize the tried and true method of contacting potential victims on the telephone to perpetrate their fraudulent schemes.
Here are two of the most common telephone scams of the past year.
The Canada Revenue Scam
In this scheme, the potential victim will receive a call from a fraudster informing them that they owe back taxes to the Canada Revenue Agency. The caller will then threaten the person, claiming that there is an arrest warrant or that their bank account(s) are about to be frozen.
The caller will then demand payment for the “back taxes” usually in the thousands of dollars. The caller requests immediate payment either by credit card or convinces the victim to purchase a prepaid credit card and to call back immediately and supply them with the information.
These scammers use a technique called phone number spoofing so that if appears that they are calling from a legitimate local number.
If you get such a call, hang up and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
The Canada Revenue Agency or any other reputable firm would never demand payment in gift cards, prepaid credit cards or money mart transfers.
The Bank Inspector Scam
This scam has a few different variations but in most cases the script is as follows.
The potential victim will receive a call from someone who knows them by name. The caller will claim to be a bank manager or bank inspector and explain to the potential victim that there have been a series of frauds committed by the staff at their bank’s branch. The caller will then ask the potential victim to help in the investigation by going to their branch and withdrawing a substantial amount of money. The money is to be handed over to the “bank inspector” and potentially be used as evidence if there is a fraud being committed by the staff at the bank. The caller will also explain to the potential victim that since the fraudster is an employee of the bank, they are not discuss their reason for the withdrawal with anyone at the branch. The “bank inspector” then meets with the victim at a pre-determined spot, usually nearby to the bank, for the exchange of the money. The victim is then asked to return home and wait for a call that will confirm that their funds have been re-deposited into their account at the bank. When the call never comes, the victim realizes that they have been scammed and the “bank inspector” is never heard from again.
If you or someone you know is the victim of a scam it may not be too late. Call: 416-205-9114 and speak to an experience private investigator. All calls are strictly confidential.
Something to Consider
Hackers are always looking for ways to corrupt and gain access to your computer for nefarious reasons. They will often send emails that entice the receiver to open them. some emails may try to infect your computer after you open them. They may contain malware or viruses sent as attachments or have links to malicious websites full of malware and scams. You should never run attachments i.e., .exe files. These are executable files that can change the settings on your computer. Even if you receive file attachment with a .exe file or another program file from someone you know and trust, you probably should not open it. Their computer may already be compromised and it is the virus that is emailing itself. As with everything on the internet, you should never run programs that try to automatically download onto your computer after you click a link.
If you suspect that your computer or mobile device has been compromised by malware or a virus you should immediately call our experts. Our experience private investigators can educate and/or sweep for viruses and malware. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
