• PhoneBusters, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre, can be reached at 1-888-495-8501. The group's website has up-to-date information about scams in North America.
• You can also contact the Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus for your area or run a search on a company online at www.ccbbb.ca.
• Another option is to contact Equifax or TransUnion. These companies can provide you with a personal credit report and their websites have information about protecting yourself from fraud. Equifax can be reached at 1-800-465-7166 or www.equifax.ca and TransUnion at 1-800-663-9980 (1-877-713-3393 in Quebec), or www.transunion.ca.
• The ABCs of Fraud Program, which is run by several volunteer organizations, provides free anti-fraud workshops in cities across the country. To request a workshop in your area or become a volunteer for the program, contact the Saint John Volunteer Centre, the Seniors Resource Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John's, the Crime Prevention Association of Toronto, the Rotary Club of West Ottawa, the Rotary Club of Halifax or Age and Opportunity in Winnipeg.
• Trusted friends, family members and local seniors’ organizations can often help, too.
10 ways to scam-proof yourself and loved ones
If there's a grain of good news about financial fraud, it's that there are plenty of ways to avoid becoming a victim. "Unlike some other random acts of violence or crime, where you might not have that opportunity to protect yourself, here you can," says Michael Boudreau, a criminology professor at St. Thomas University in Fredericton.
Boudreau, Cpl. Louis Robertson of PhoneBusters and Bud McGinnis, an 86-year-old volunteer with the Rotary Club of West Ottawa who works with the ABCs of Fraud, offer their tips on protecting yourself and your parents from financial fraud.
1. If it sounds too good to be true, remember, it is.
2. Don't ever pay anything for a "free prize."
3. Never give out personal information on an incoming call.
4. Shred or otherwise destroy all personal papers before throwing them in the trash or recycling bin.
5. Don’t carry your social insurance card or any other personal cards you seldom use in your wallet.
6. Don't let anyone pressure you into making a quick decision.
7. Don't be fooled into thinking you will really get a big lottery cheque if you send an up-front fee.
8. If someone calls or comes to the door offering you a free prize but requiring some sort of advance payment, just hang up or shut the door. Emphasize to seniors that they need not worry about being impolite.
9. If you're not sure about a solicitation, go to your financial institution, police department or the RCMP and ask questions.
10. If you don't know whether you're dealing with a fraudster or a legitimate organization, start your homework with a call to your local police or research it on the Internet.
Read more:
Avoid e-mail scams
10 things you're wasting your money on
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