Why the Pandemic is Open Season for Scammers

Did you find that during the first few months of the pandemic you got a lot less scammer phone calls?  Now the scammers are back in full force exploiting people's fears about the pandemic.  Everything from free masks (you just pay the shipping), fake testing kits, miracle cures and even cleaning services claiming to rid your air vents of the virus.  Between March 6 and April 23rd the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre logged 643 fraud reports and 158 confirmed victims, though this is probably less than the true total as many people are too embarrassed to report that they have fallen for a scam.

The pandemic has created perfect conditions for con artists as people are alone, anxious, on-line, watching frightening news and worrying about their jobs, finances and relatives who are at high risk.  Jeffrey Thomson a CAFC criminal intelligence analyst says "It's prime time for fraudsters, an extortion scam is trying to create fear and anxiety in people to get them to react.  Now people are more likely to be constantly in that state."  

One of the most common scams is getting a text or email from someone claiming to be the government directing you to provide your SIN and banking information to claim the CERB.  As Thomson says successful scams are a game of numbers and as this one is going out in huge amounts it is taking more victims.

Phishing, extortion and emergency scams are also on the rise.  Most common are a brand offering you loyalty points in exchange for your banking information or someone impersonating a friend or relative stuck abroad and needing you to send money.  Here are some of the warning signs that you should be looking for to avoid getting scammed.

• Be suspicious if you did not initiate contact and don't respond to unsolicited messages that sound a bit fishy.
• Think twice before clicking any links in a text or an email from an unknown source.
• If a friend messages via social media for financial help call them to confirm.
• Verify any websites claiming to be the government.
• Make sure the seller is reputable when shopping on line.
• If a deal on Covid-19 products seems too good to be true, it probably is.

If you do fall victim to a scam collect all the details and events in chronological order and report them to the police, the CAFC, the credit bureau and your bank and credit card providers.  Even if you cannot recover your own money you may help other Canadians to avoid losing theirs.

From an article by Sinead Mulhern