The "Emergency Scam" in Canada – Protect Yourself and Your Family
Phone scams and online scams have become very common all over the world. The people who commit these crimes try to trick others into providing their personal information and then they use this information to steal their victim’s identity or money. Many times this is done through Facebook or other similar online chat forums around the world because these are places where many people post personal information. Even though it is common problem, and we hear about it often, it is still easy to get fooled. It can happen to anyone!
One scam being talked about among LTC students is known as the “Emergency Scam”. It is a well known scam in some Asian countries and is making its way to Canada. The Winnipeg Police Commercial Crime Unit is aware of this scam, as well as many others, and they are willing to help however possible. One way is to help us learn more about scams and how to prevent them.
Here are a few resources about scams and how we can protect ourselves:
Organizations:
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
- Equifax
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner
- Western Union
- Manitoba Consumer’s Protection Bureau
- Competition Bureau
- Consumer Affairs
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) information→
SCAMS PROTECTION – A Student Practical Guide→
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center home page→
A list of scams and how to protect yourself→