As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, there is a heightened sense of insecurity, uncertainty, fears, and misinformation, and understandably so. To keep people aware of plausible fraudulent activities, here’s a list compiled by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Fraudsters posing as “companies”
- Fraudsters offering quick COVID-19 tests/products claiming prevention of the disease
- Fraudsters/Scammers are posing as a government representative
- Fraudsters posing as hydro/electrical power companies, and threatening to disconnect power-supply for non-payment
- Fraudsters pretending to work for the Red Cross or other known charities
- Fraudsters as financial advisors convincing one to invest in stocks related to the disease
Here’s how you can protect yourself:
- Beware of unsolicited calls, emails and texts requesting urgent action or payment and/or offering medical advice, financial relief, or government assistance and compensation
- Never click suspicious links and do not open suspicious attachments
- Do not share personal or financial details
- Have anti-virus software installed and keep your operating system up-to date
Security Resources as listed below:
- Government of Canada COVID-19 health, financial and security resources: https://bit.ly/2WWWFoO
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada COVID-19 information: https://bit.ly/3ctJxyh
- Public Health Agency of Canada: https://bit.ly/2WtK6m0
- World Health Organization: https://bit.ly/2yJZYYH
If you know a victim of fraud, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report online at www.antifraudcentre.ca. NT RCMP also encourages to report to your local RCMP detachment.
More information on, www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca