By Trevor Greenway
We’ve all had the calls: the sketchy duct cleaning salesman who aggressively tries to get you to hire a cleaner when you don’t even have a furnace; the bizarre, recorded message seemingly from the RCMP or police that you have been involved in drug charges or child pornography or what seems like a legitimate call from the Canada Revenue Agency about tax arrears; a computer tech who says you’re about to lose all your data, but if you send him your passwords, he will help save you.
These calls are not uncommon in Quebec. In fact La belle province ranks first in the country in terms of the number of identity fraud cases for the third consecutive year, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CACF). The anti-fraud organization says that all types of fraud combined caused $54 million in financial losses in Quebec in 2023, compared to $42 million in 2022 and $30 million in 2021.
Part of the problem, according to the CACF, is that most fraud cases go unreported, with only five to 10 per cent of victims going to police for help.
To combat this, the Sûreté du Québec, along with the Bank of Canada and the CACF launched Fraud Prevention Month in March, the twentieth year of the campaign. Through a digital and printable booklet, “Fraud in 3D: Detect, Denounce, Deter”, Quebecers can educate themselves on the types of common frauds – bank, urgent request and romance scams – and prepare for any unsolicited calls, text or emails they receive.
The booklet goes over how fraudsters get your information, typically through email phishing scams, text messages, phone calls or even by rummaging through your recycling bins. The CACF has a list of recommendations to avoid being scammed or what to do once you’ve been compromised. They encourage you to increase your privacy setting before downloading applications, registering on social media sites or anything that requires your personal information. Always use a two-factor authentication, which requires a second sign-in (usually a pin texted to your smartphone) to log in to websites.
“This additional protection measure makes it possible to associate information that you know (your password) with information that you have (a code sent by SMS, a token, a fingerprint, etc.),” the booklet states. The CACF also recommends that smartphone users always read the fine print – usage and privacy policies – before turning tracking on for any apps or websites.
One common way that fraudsters get your information is also through “remember password” prompts on certain websites. Although it’s convenient, the CACF urges users to always decline this option.
Download the “Fraud in 3D” booklet at https://www.bankofcanada.ca/ (safe link)
“Fraudsters generally rely on ignorance, the vulnerability of victims, the feeling of urgency, authority or even speed to achieve their ends,” states a Sûreté du Québec press release. “Reporting is taking action!”
Anyone who has been a victim of fraud is urged to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.