March is fraud prevention month
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Crime Stoppers of Oxford would like to inform everyone that March has been nationally proclaimed ‘Fraud Prevention Month.’
There are several types of frauds or scams in our society today and thousands of Canadians have become victims of fraud losing millions of dollars each and every year. Crime Stoppers would like to re-enforce the importance of knowing how to protect yourself from being a victim.
TYPES OF FRAUD
• Pyramid schemes, money transfer requests, internet scams, telephone scams, charity scams, service scams.
PROTECT YOURSELF
• Never give out personal, credit card, or online details to anyone you don’t know or trust.
• Never commit to anything under pressure.
• Be wary of unsolicited calls from people offering a great deal “for a limited time only.”
• If someone comes to your door, ask to see some identification. You do not have to let them in, and they must leave if you ask them to.
If you are the victim of fraud – you have suffered a loss because of someone's dishonesty or deception – you should consider contacting your local police (particularly if the amount involved is significant).
You should definitively contact the police if you have had your property stolen or have been threatened or assaulted by a scammer.
HELPFUL WEBSITES
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/
Competition Bureau of Canada - http://competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/home
Ontario Provincial Police- www.opp.ca
Woodstock Police Service- www.woodstockpolice.ca