Consumers advised to learn more about fraud prevention

Dianne Whalen, Minister of Government Services, is asking consumers to learn more about how they can protect themselves from fraud. March has been declared Fraud Prevention Month in Canada and in many countries around the world.

"It is important that everyone is aware of what they can do to ensure they don�t become a victim of fraud," said Minister Whalen. "There are many different aspects to fraud including identity theft, investment fraud and phishing. Beware of unsolicited e-mails and phone calls asking for personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers and Social Insurance numbers. The best way to prevent fraud is to educate yourself."

One of the more devastating frauds is identity theft. Consumers can minimize the risk of identify theft by not giving out any personal information over the phone or Internet unless you initiated the contact, protecting your PIN numbers and never lending your cards, and reporting missing credit or debit cards. If you are the victim of identity theft, report it immediately to a law enforcement agency.

Signs of identity theft include:

"The theme for Fraud Prevention Month is Recognize it, Report it and Stop it which is an excellent message for everyone in order to stop all frauds. This is a message which we should all keep in mind every day of the year to prevent the devastating affects fraud can have on our lives. I would encourage everyone to learn more about fraud," said Minister Whalen.

To learn more about fraud, you should call PhoneBusters at 1-888-495-8501 or visit the PhoneBusters Web site at www.phonebusters.com. PhoneBusters is a national anti-fraud call centre.

Another important Web site is the Canadian Securities Administrators Web site at www.csa-acvm.ca where you can learn more about investment fraud.

Provincially, if you think you have been the victim of frauds such as Ponzi scams, or insurance and securities frauds, please call the Financial Services Regulation Division at (709) 729-2596.

Media contact: Vanessa Colman-Sadd, Communications, (709) 729-4860, 682-6593

2006 03 06                                    11:00 a.m.