SQ launches Fraud Prevention Month operations
SQ launches Fraud Prevention Month operations
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) launched its operations for Fraud Prevention month, which will be organized in the coming weeks.
”Fraudulent schemes are constantly evolving. Every Quebecker must be careful, informed and take concrete steps to know how to recognize a fraud and certainly be vigilant while protecting themselves effectively.”
To better equip the population, prevention activities are planned on the territory. The Sûreté du Québec and its partners will post messages on their respective social media pages covering the following frauds:
– Theft and identity fraud
– Romantic scam
– Urgent payment (telephone fraud)
– Bank scam
– Business fraud & Counterfeiting of banknotes
Under the theme: La fraude évolue, restons vigilants (Frauds evolves, stay vigilant), different police services will join the cause in order to make citizens aware of the different types of fraud.
3D fraud: to find out about current frauds
Identity theft and fraud were at the heart of the news in 2019 and the start of 2020. The monetary losses in Quebec caused by identity fraud in 2019 are estimated at $ 5.3 million. Canada, in 2018, we were talking about 28 million victims affected by a breach of data.
The 3D Fraud booklet developed in collaboration with the Bank of Canada, the Sûreté du Québec and several partners aims to raise awareness of the most common types of frauds. It invites people to detect, report and discourage all types of scams.
Romantic scams on the rise:
The romantic scam was the first scam among seniors in Quebec in 2019 for monetary losses, which were estimated at $ 2.1 million. The scammers creates false profiles on social medias or online dating sites then showed interest in developing a serious relationship.
Avoiding the traps of fraudsters:
Although many specialized teams work daily to combat the various types of frauds, vigilance remains the best way to counter fraudsters. Citizens must be skeptical of overly attractive offers, validate information, and question the lure of too easy a profit. These simple gestures can save them a lot of trouble.
Fraudsters generally bet on the ignorance, the vulnerability of victims, the feeling of urgency, the authority or the speed to achieve their ends.
The SQ invites the public to report any fraudulent act to its local police service. Remember that fraud is a criminal act. Whether committed online, by telephone or in person, it must be reported as soon as possible to police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center at 1 888 495-8501.
