Criminal Investigation Division
Commercial Crime

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March is Fraud Awareness Month

Through heightened attention of Fraud Awareness Month, the trained staff of Commercial Crime and Fraud Sections with RCMP “F” Division, Regina Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission will be able to share their knowledge and inform the general public. Education on fraudulent activities will help prevent consumers from becoming “victims.”

Future fraudulent activities to be profiled in media releases during the month of March as part of Fraud Awareness Month include Identity Theft, Mass Marketing Fraud/E-Commerce, Social Networking/On-Line Dating Fraud and Securities Schemes.


Learn about:

Social Networking

Online Shopping

 

Also, visit the Saskatchewan Association of Chief's of Police Website.

 

 

 

SPAM & Scams are major problems that takes up valuable time and increase costs for consumers, business, governments and police.

Don't try, don't buy and don't reply to SPAM. Just delete it. It's a great way to prevent receiving more SPAM & Scams in the future. You can also report SPAM & a Scam to Phonebusters.

If you are a Regina resident and have experienced financial loss due to fraudulent activity or a scam please file a report with Regina Police Service in person.

 

 

 

The Regina Police Service Commercial Crime Section deals with a wide range of scams. The following list provides a description of common scams (or "pitches") to be aware of. Investigations generally begin as a result of public complaints or inquiries.

 

Nigerian Letters

In the Nigerian Letter Scam you are contacted out of the blue by a person offering you large sums of money if you assist them obtain millions of dollars from a bank account in Nigeria. A recent Regina resident just fell victim to this for a sum exceeding $30,000.00. These contacts are made by phone, fax or most recently, by e-mail. The e-mail indicates that large sums of money will be deposited into your bank account if you provide your bank account number and PIN (personal identification number). Of course, instead of using this information to credit your account, the perpetrator simply makes a big withdrawal.

 

Bank Inspector

The Phoney Bank Inspector Scam where you receive a phone request to assist the bank in catching a dishonest employee by withdrawing money and turning it over to a bank representative. A Regina senior was recently victimized in excess of $10,000.00 by this scam. Banks never ask their clients to help resolve criminal or personnel matters nor would they ask clients to use their own money to assist in this way.

 

False Charities

Door to Door Canvassers requesting money for charitable organizations. They often provide handouts that include toll free phone numbers and registered charity numbers. However, what they don’t tell you even if their organization is legitimate, is that 90-95% of your donation never makes it to the organization you are trying to support. The vast majority of your money is spent paying the wages and the “administration” costs of the fundraisers themselves. If you have doubts about any solicitation, you may contact Phone Busters, toll free at 1 (888) 495-8501 to register a complaint or to make an inquiry about an organization. When solicited at your door for a donation, ask the canvasser for a donation envelope and say if you decide to donate, you’ll send money directly to the organization. Reputable charities will usually be glad to provide you with an envelope. Solicitors who are collecting for profit will be reluctant to do this, because it means they won’t get their hefty commissions.

For more information visit the Canada Revenue Agency website.

 

ATM

ATM (Automatic Teller Machines) Scams. Recently, Regina seniors have been targeted by criminals who jam ATM machines, then offer you assistance in punching in your PIN number, to aid you in obtaining your money. They usually tell you a story of how this just happened to them and how they are willing to show you how to slowly punch in your PIN numbers to overcome this malfunctioning machine. Once these crooks have learned your PIN number, they access your account and remove all you money.

Another variation of an ATM scam is the Distraction Technique. While you are using your ATM card at a financial institution, crooks will often drop a twenty-dollar bill on the floor asking you if this is yours. As you bend over to retrieve it, they will switch your ATM card with somebody else’s, and then drain your bank account after you leave. Please watch for anyone observing you entering your PIN number, anywhere you use your ATM card. Police know this as “shoulder surfing” and it is very common. Also, bank employees will NEVER phone you requesting that you validate or change your PIN number over the phone.

 

Home Renovations

At certain times of the year, we have a definite increase in the number of Home Renovation Scams that specifically target seniors. Be extremely leery of any business willing to check your furnace, windows, doors, shingles or insulation, at little or no cost. We remind residents to get at least three quotes for any work they are getting done on their homes. Ensure that the company is registered with the Consumer Protection Branch, (787-5550) and has accident insurance. Obtain at least 3 (recent) names of other customers. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints registered against this business. Get a written contract of all work to be done which specifies price, and be suspicious of anyone requesting advance payment for building materials.

 

Prize Pitch

You have “Won a Prize” Scam. There are a million variations of this scam, but they all involve you sending money away to obtain something in return. A recent example is where a “lost” bank account containing a large sum of money has been discovered with you as the beneficiary. For a finder’s fee, this money will be released to you. Another recent one involves a caller purporting to be with Customs and Revenue Canada requesting money to pay “duty or taxes” on a valuable article or bank draft that is addressed to you. If you belong to a book club, coin club, stamp collectors club, etc. be wary of rare items being recently discovered and offered to you at a special price. You should always question the deal if it comes with the warning that you must act quickly.

 

Credit Cards

Fraudulent Use of Credit Card Information is also becoming more common. In a number of recent cases, the opportunity to compromise the credit card occurs when a person phones a restaurant and places an order for food to be delivered to the caller’s residence. The caller pays for the food by credit card, either giving out the card number and expiry date on the phone or by giving that information to the delivery person. It should be noted that many establishments legitimately do business in this manner, but police have received complaints in instances where the credit card information is essentially “stolen” and used by someone other than the credit car holder. Investigations are made more difficult by the fact that many restaurants sub-contract their food-delivery business to other companies, which may or may not keep detailed employee records. This makes it more difficult to determine the point of compromise and hold the person(s) responsible for the fraud. Be cautious any time you release personal financial information. An unscrupulous individual needs only the credit card number and the expiry date to make unauthorized purchases. Even if the legitimate owner of the card is insured against such losses, he or she may suffer an interruption in service while the credit card company does its own investigation. Debit cards are less likely to be compromised as long as the owner guards the PIN (personal identification number). We also remind people that their caution should extend to the manner in which they dispose of credit card bills or receipts. Careless disposal of such documents may also present an opportunity for a crime to occur.

Unless you are sure of the person with whom you are dealing, never give out your credit card information over the Internet. Everyday, the Commercial Crime Unit of the Regina Police Service receives complaints of individuals using their credit cards over the Internet to make purchases, only to be later defrauded by persons using their credit card information. (The victims never receive their purchases however, are still held responsible for the loss by the credit card company).

 

Protect your SIN

The Commercial Crime Section also reminds people of the importance of protecting one’s Social Insurance Number, or SIN. An unscrupulous individual or member of a criminal organization may fraudulently obtain the SINs of unsuspecting individuals and use those numbers to open credit card accounts, bank accounts and lines of credit. This will cause financial hardship to the victims in the short term and may also adversely affect their credit histories/status. Do not supply your Social Insurance Number unless it is absolutely necessary. Never give out your SIN on the Internet, on job applications or over the phone. Most people know their Social Insurance Numbers by heart, so don’t even carry your SIN card in your wallet in case of a theft or loss.