Scam artists are inventing more sophisticated frauds
everyday with the main purpose of stealing money from innocent
individuals. March is Fraud Prevention Month across Canada and it serves
as a reminder to residents to become vigilant in the fight against
fraud.
"We know that residents of Newfoundland and Labrador
are being contacted on a consistent basis for fraudulent purposes
ranging from credit card information to free trips," said the Honourable
Kevin O�Brien, Minister of Government Services. "We know the message is
getting out not to respond to unsolicited e-mails and phone calls but it
is still important that people know, when they are contacted by these
means, that they should never give out personal information such as bank
account numbers, credit card numbers or social insurance numbers. By
giving out this type of information, there is a high risk of identity
theft."
Consumers can minimize the risk of identify theft by
not giving out any personal information over the phone or internet
unless they initiated the contact, protecting PIN numbers and never
lending cards, and reporting missing credit or debit cards.
Signs of identity theft include:
- Purchases you did not make appearing on your
credit card bills
- Bills arriving on accounts you do not own
- Calls from collection agencies about unknown debt
- Credit card/bank statements don�t arrive
- Credit report shows mystery debts
"Any kind of fraud can be personally devastating
whether it is marketing fraud, identity theft or investment fraud," said
Minister O�Brien. "I encourage all residents to learn the signs of fraud
and how they can protect themselves. By educating yourself, you protect
yourself. This makes it tougher for scam artists to operate and you
ensure a safe marketplace. If you think you have already been the victim
of a fraud, report it immediately to a law enforcement agency."
To learn more about fraud or to report a fraud, you
should call PhoneBusters at 1-888-495-8501 or visit the PhoneBusters
website at www.phonebusters.com. PhoneBusters is a national anti-fraud
call centre.
Another important website is the Canadian Securities
Administrators website 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.
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