With the holidays fast approaching, the increasing number of shoppers this time of year are especially advised by police to be extra cautious of scammers, particularly with telephone soliciting and when surfing on the Internet, said Sundre RCMP Const. Earl Hutchinson.
Criminals are able to steal personal information over the Internet as well as over the phone from anywhere in the world, said Hutchinson.
He said the scammer could be calling from next door, the next town or thousands of miles away.
Hutchinson also advises not to give out any personal information through text messages.
“Make sure you don't give out your personal information, your date of birth and any pertinent information that people can use against you,” said Hutchinson.
“Make sure you know who you're giving the information to and if it's over the Internet that your site is secure.”
Hutchinson said not to give out information such as credit card numbers, social insurance numbers, as well as passwords to computer systems and other important personal information.
“Be vigilant and ensure that if people are asking some inappropriate questions as to things that you normally wouldn't have to pass out,” said Hutchinson.
“There is no reason for some organizations to have that information.”
He said he is familiar with common Christmas scams such as the “Microsoft scam” where the scammer calls and says they are a representative for Microsoft and then says a home computer has a virus and directs citizens to a website to fix it. Once at that website, the scammer gains access to the computer and all the user's information, Hutchinson. He said they will typically also ask for credit card information to “pay for the service”.
“The big thing is for people to be aware of these types of solicitations.”
He said the tactics which scammers use vary, consisting of “little things” that people aren't aware of. This includes the scammer saying they are a representative for “Microsoft Corporation” (which is a fictitious company) rather than saying they are from “Microsoft Company” (the real company).
“You really have to pay attention to what's being said to you and ask for clarification if you're not happy with it,” said Hutchinson.
“Common sense prevails that you're not going to give out private information to an unknown person. Sometimes people do and then once they have that information there is not much we can do with it.”
He recommends people put filters on their computers, which can be discussed with a computer specialist.
If someone feels like they are being scammed, they are directed to http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/english/home-eng.html
