Be wary of unexpected emails that contain links or attachments from unknown senders.If the URL doesn’t match the link, or seems suspicious, don’t click on it. Hover your mouse over links to check their true destination.Search online to get contact information from an official source. Contact the business directly to legitimize the communication before you take any action.Business logos, websites and email addresses can easily be duplicated to look legitimate. Ask for call back numbers in order to confirm the legitimacy of any call you receive.Never transfer money, or give out credit card or other financial information, until you can verify the person’s identity and the story, and determine whether it is legitimate.Do not feel pressure to respond to a request until you have a chance to verify the story.The victim is then directed to pay the purported fees through e-transfer, money wire transfer or the purchase of pre-paid gift cards, which they are directed to mail to a specific address.Ĭitizens can help protect themselves using the following practices: The culprits often make threats that un-paid fees, or taxes, will result in the victim going to jail or being deported if the fees are not paid. During phone solicitations, the offenders demand to stay on the line with the victim, claiming they work for Canada Citizenship and Immigration, or the Canada Revenue Agency. These types of scams are almost exclusively done via telephone calls to the victim’s home phone, however they have also occurred via email. Again, the money and the rental disappear. They often demand cash deposits before disappearing with the victim’s money.Ĭulprits of this scam will often seek out those attempting to find accommodations from outside of the province and will request the renter transfer the deposit through Canada Post Moneygram. When an interested renter contacts them to view the property, they will make excuses as to why the property can’t be seen in person. Offenders in these cases most often hijack legitimate rental properties advertised on local websites.
The company names most often used by these groups are “Loan Shark Industries” or “Capital Finance.” The fraudsters may also demand banking or personal information in addition to an advanced fee.Ĭulprits use phone numbers of 1-800 or 1-888 as well as telephone number spoofing devices that allow them to mimic local area codes. The most common advanced fee range is between $2,000 to $5,000, while the highest amount paid by a victim was $30,000. The victims are asked to pay an initial fee that can range from a few hundred dollars, to thousands. Scammers operate on-line “loan companies” and may include appealing interest rates as low as three per cent. The top three frauds that investigators are seeing involve loan scams, on-line rental scams, and immigration or Canada Revenue Agency scams. The Calgary Police Service Economic Crimes Unit is alerting the public to a growing trend of mass marketing frauds.
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