March is Fraud Prevention Month and in all of 2018, there were over 11,000 reports of fraud within Alberta RCMP jurisdiction. Impersonation and identity related incidents accounted for 14 per cent of all reported frauds for the year.
Protect yourself by learning how to recognize fraud. Here are some tips:
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
- Ignore communication from unknown contacts
- Purchase items from reputable organizations
- Never send money on a dating site
- Regularly monitor credit card statements for unknown charges
- Research organizations via the Better Business Bureau
- Don't leave personal identification in your vehicle
On March 2, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., Alberta RCMP and partners will be launching Fraud Prevention Month with a public event at West Edmonton Mall. The event will take place on Centre Stage. RCMP will also attend a Southern Alberta event, organized by the Calgary Police Service, on the same day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at CrossIron Mills in Balzac.
The public will receive tips on how to prevent fraud, have the opportunity to take photos with a Mountie and Monty the Safety Bear, shred old hard drives, tapes and phones without batteries courtesy of the Electronic Recycling Association, and be entered into a draw for a chance to win a prize basket.
The organizations attending the Edmonton event are as follows:
- Edmonton Police Service
- ATB Financial
- Competition Bureau
- Better Business Bureau
- Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association
- Edmonton Police Commission
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
- Bank of Canada
- Electronic Recycling Association
Check out our social media accounts and #StopFraud2019 and #FPM2019 for more fraud education and tips. Follow us on Twitter @RCMPAlberta and on Facebook @RCMPinAlberta.
If you have been the victim of a fraud, report it to your local police service and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at: www.antifraudcentre.ca or by calling: 1-888-495-8501.