Scammers are sneaky and sly. They can target anyone, from youngsters to retirees. They can also target businesses. No one is immune to fraud.
Our group of superheroes has found a way to see through the scams. Their secret is simple: knowledge is power!
Fed up with scammers? Here's a short YouTube video that shows you how to take some simple steps to make life difficult for them yourself. You don't need to have extensive computer skills to follow the simple steps shown in the video.
This spring, like most others, door-to-door handyman scams will increase. There are some reputable door-to-door handymen, but you need to be aware of fraudsters trying to take advantage of you. They may offer to fix your roof, clean your gutters or to do other odd jobs. They may tell you they are working in your neighbourhood and could even use a neighbours name to try to gain your trust. They may try to entice you by saying they have left over materials from another job, and therefore, can offer you an amazing deal!
On March 31, 2016, the Oceanside RCMP received a suspicious complaint, possibly extortion. The complainant, a local businessman in our community advised that he received and opened an unknown email and his computer immediately locked up with a virus. A message appeared on the screen saying that some of his documents were locked and if he wanted the documents unlocked he would have to pay for their release. The local police were subsequently contacted and investigation revealed that unfortunately the sender of the email was not traceable and may have been out of the Middle East.
The Oceanside RCMP receive several calls this time of year regarding the Canada Revenue Scam.
Background: Residents receive a notification by phone that they owe back taxes as the result of an audit. The fraudster claims that the payment must be made immediately or the RCMP will attend their home and arrest them. The victim is further told that they must phone a certain telephone number without delay, asked for personal information and then told to wire money.