Windsor Police raise fraud prevention awareness

It’s Fraud Prevention Month and Windsor Police are using the campaign to urge Windsorites to keep themselves and their pockets safe.

Since it’s tax season, Const. Andy Drouillard said the most common form of fraud this time of year is Canada Revenue Agency fraud. This occurs when someone pretends to be an agent from Canada Revenue and tells the victim they owe back taxes. The scam artist usually conveys a sense of urgency or legal danger if money is not sent.

“When people are asking for your personal information, financial information, those should raise your concerns… especially when it’s unsolicited,” said Drouillard.

He mapped out the most common types of fraud, and how convincing they can be with the use of technology.

“These people use different tactics, there’s phishing scams…there’s phone spoofing where they can make their phone number look like it’s the actual agency, that it’s actually coming from the Windsor Police (or) the Canada Revenue Agency when in fact they’re just using a device to make their phone look that way.”

Drouillard said if contacted by a suspicious individual, directly call the agency they claim to represent and find out if their claims are true and, if not, report the incident.

For more information on fraud prevention, visit the Windsor Police Service Twitter page.