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Congratulations! You get a call or a letter informing you that you can win millions in a foreign lottery. Is it your lucky day? Nope, it's a scam.
Crooks take advantage of our natural desire to win, with the same goal as con artists - to seperate you from your money!
When you send money to people you do not know personally or give personal or financial information to unknown callers, you increase your chance of being a victim of fraud.
Common fraud scams include, telemarketing fraud, Nigerian letter or 419 fraud, impersonation/identity fraud, advance fee scheme, health insurance, credit card fraud, investment fraud; just to name a few.
About Con Artists and Scams
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BE AWARE that con artists are often well dressed, talkative, intelligent and persistent. They frequently target the elderly and persons of their own ethnic heritage. |
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BE WARY of unsolicited and hurried sales opportunities. |
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DON'T BE AFRAID to say "no!", close your door, hang up the telephone, or throw away solicitations. |
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DON'T BELIEVE anyone who claims you've won a contest that you did not enter, especially from an out-of-Province/Country company. |
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BE SKEPTICAL about a company that only uses a post office box with no street address or telephone number. |
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BE CAUTIOUS about doing business with a new or troubled company. |
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READ CONTRACTS carefully before signing. |
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DON'T SIGN a contract that contains blank spaces and always get a copy of the contract you signed. |
About Identity Theft
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IDENTITY THEFT is someone stealing your personal information to use for illegal purposes – it is a crime that can damage your credit, your reputation, and your peace of mind. The thief’s goal is to spend as much money as possible before the victim becomes aware of the theft. You can reduce the possibility of becoming a victim by keeping your personal information secure. |
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GUARD YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION. Only provide your credit card or bank account number when you are actually paying for something with it. |
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BE A SMART CONSUMER. Never give out your credit card number or other personal information over the telephone unless you have a trusted business relationship with the company and you initiated the call. |
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KEEP YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER CONFIDENTIAL. It's the key that unlocks your identity. |
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BEWARE OF IMPOSTERS. Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Before responding, contact the company directly to confirm that the call or email is from them. |
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KEEP YOUR MAIL SAFE. Your mail contains account numbers and other personal information. Collect it promptly from your mailbox and ask the post office to hold it if you're going away. Send bill payments from the post office or a public mailbox, not from home. Shred personal documents before putting them in the trash (especially pre-approved offers of credit). Don't place mail that contains personal identifiers in an unlocked mailbox. Don't have checks delivered to an unlocked mailbox. |
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MEMORIZE YOUR PASSWORDS AND PIN NUMBERS. Don't leave them in your wallet or on your desk where someone else could find. When selecting PIN numbers, do not use birthdays. When selecting passwords do not use pets’ names or children’s names. These are far too easy for thieves to figure out. Always use case-sensitive passwords. Better yet, use a case-sensitive combination of letters and numbers – such a combination is nearly impossible for a hacker to crack. |
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LOCK IT UP. Keep your personal information secure. Don't carry unnecessary credit cards, your social security card, birth certificate or passport, in your wallet or purse except when absolutely necessary. |
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STAY SAFE ONLINE. Don't send sensitive information such as credit card numbers by email, since it's not secure. |
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CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS REGULARLY. If you find accounts that don't belong to you or other incorrect information, follow the instructions for disputing those items. Everyone can request a free copy of their credit report. In Nova Scotia you can make your requests by phone or online, or download a form to mail your requests. Go to www.equifax.ca or call 1-800-465-7166. Expect to provide your
S.I.N., DOB, home address and a major credit card number to verify your identity. While you're at it, get off credit marketing lists. Check with your credit bureau to determine if they compile marketing lists for preapproved offers of credit. These mailings are a gold mine for identity thieves, who may steal them and apply for credit in your name. Removing yourself from these lists does not hurt your chances of applying for or getting credit. |
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