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Have you answered a phone call from someone claiming your grandchild is in trouble and needs help, or received a text from the Canadian Revenue Agency indicating it is about to issue a warrant for your arrest unless you pay up? You aren't alone.
A free to read online document called 'The Little Black Book of Scams' can help you identifying the signs of a scam going on.
Thousands of these types of scams occur every day, and unfortunately, they are often working on the least able to protect themselves - seniors and newcomers.
So, how do you figure out if the call, email, text, or person knocking on your door is a scam? It isn't always easy, especially with phone calls, since these crooks understand what to say to instill a sense of fear and urgency.
The best way to understand what is or isn't a fraudulent request for money is to prepare yourself because everyone has received and will receive these requests.
To tackle the problem, Halton Regional Police Service highly recommends reading the Government of Canada's 'The Little Black Book of Scams', available online in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Punjabi and Spanish. The types of scams include:
- Subscription Traps
- Identity Theft
- CEO
- Health and Medical
- Romance
- Business
- Phishing and Smishing
- Tax
- Door to Door
- Emergency
- Purchase of Merchandise
- Sale of Merchandise
Also, you can learn about red flags and how to report a scam.
