Police offer advice for recognizing fraud before it happens

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 19, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

Throughout March, during Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, the Medicine Hat Police Service has been sharing information on how to recognize and prevent common frauds and scams.

The month-long crime prevention initiative seeks to educate consumers and community members on the wide range of scams used by fraudsters, and current trends and tactics constantly being changed by criminals.

This week police are spotlighting online scams and frauds that can often be difficult to determine if it’s a fraud due to the lack of face-to-face communication between involved parties.

Police say becoming more common are online marketplace scams that show a photo of an item (that may or may not exist) for sale.

Often the seller will request a partial or full payment for the item prior to arranging a meeting with the buyer, then will not show up. The suspect will also delete any related posts or advertisements after accepting the victim’s money.

Another common online scam involves mass emails sent out stating the recipient has won a lottery or prize of significant value, then requesting banking information to deposit the funds.

Once they have received financial information, they will attempt to withdraw funds for the victims’ accounts.

“The prize is never sent to the victim, and the money sent to the suspect is frequently not traceable,” police say.

Scammers may also request a cash deposit, wire transfer or e-transfer in order to claim the prize.

In an attempt to gain access to a victim’s computer and personal records, fraudsters will also imitate a computer service or technology repair company and may convince the victim to allow remote access to a personal computer or device.

Once a scammer is able to gain access, they will begin attempting to retrieve banking information and passwords.

Police also heed caution with requests from someone asking to send money, gift card codes or deposit into cryptocurrencies.

“The sad truth is that many of the scammers are across the borders, and once the money is e-transferred, money ordered, provided through gift card codes, or deposited into a crypto currency account, it is gone for good and extremely difficult to investigate,” say police.

It is also recommended to conduct research on a company prior to hiring them and police recommend utilizing the Better Business Bureau as a resource.

More information about Fraud Prevention Month in Canada can be found by visiting the anti-fraud centre’s website and by following the Medicine Hat Police Service on Facebook.

17
-16