OLDS — Olds RCMP are warning residents to watch out for several scams that have been circulating over the past year.
Frauds that people are to be aware of include:
• Relationship scams, such as romance scams, grandparent scams, and extortion scams.
Remember, never send money to people you meet while online.
• Investment scams: these include investment fraud via social media, Ponzi or pyramid schemes, cryptocurrency schemes, real estate scams, and offshore investing schemes.
To avoid these, be wary of high-pressure sales tactics and pitches made over social media.
Always seek advice from an independent professional, or even a lawyer if considering an investment.
The Alberta Securities Commission’s Checkfirst.ca is also a great resource for learning about best practices for investments and avoiding investment scams.
• Online scams and fraud: These include phishing emails, job scams, buy and sell fraud, lottery/prize scams, tech repair scams, and impersonation scams.
To stay safe from these scams, be cautious when sharing personal or financial information online. If something sounds too good to be true, trust your gut and report it to your local police.
• Mass marketing and phone scams. This includes spoofed phone numbers, fraudulent telemarketers, work-from-home scams, Canada Revenue Agency impersonation scams, foreign lottery/prize schemes, mass mailouts and/or subscriptions, overpayment schemes, inheritance schemes, and credit card interest rate reduction schemes.
To avoid becoming a victim of these scams, do not give your personal information to any unknown caller, and directly contact a business/organization to speak to a designated representative.
Anyone believing they may be a victim of fraud, or are currently being targeted by fraud, are encouraged to report that to local law enforcement and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501.
Instances of compromised personal and/or financial information should be reported to their bank and credit card company.
To learn more about the various types of frauds and scams, visit the CAFC’s scam webpage.
For more fraud prevention information and resources, follow Alberta RCMP via Facebook @RCMPinAlberta, X @RCMPAlberta, and on YouTube @RCMP-GRC Alberta.
