Fraud Month

Well, we're about half way through Fraud Awareness Month and there has been an overall excellent effort to raise awareness around the world, both for and against frauds!

Law enforcement and media here in Canada have been diligently promoting common fraud types which has definitely been great to raise awareness for those most at risk, particularly seniors, who are often targeted due to isolation, resources and sometimes impairment.

Fraudsters on the other hand seem to have also stepped up some activity, with major increases this month in online phishing and scam campaigns, toppling a major BitCoin trader and the spring onslaught of door to door scams kicking off.

Despite this, and the ever present efforts of fraudsters to part victims from their money, there exists more resources than ever to help raise the awareness level of individuals, business and government to the threats posed by fraudsters, not just financially but for non-financial frauds as well.

The best message coming out this month so far, and as always, is to help those at risk understand the threats out there. This can be as simple as telling the next person you meet about the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center or point them to the RCMP Scams and Fraud page. It also pays to remember that it is not just the elderly who are targeted, as many professionals and business have come under increased attack from more sophisticated scams than the classic Nigerian variety, meaning that general staff needs to be aware of the ever present landscape of the world of frauds, as the weakest link is going to be an eventual target.

As the months comes closer to the end, it is also a great idea to remember to keep up the efforts of awareness throughout the year as the fraudsters do not pack things up once the month ends.

If you find yourself a victim of a scam, or suspect something is wrong, contact your local police to file a complaint. Often, a third party investigation must be completed before the police can take action, which requires the assistance of an accountant or private investigator, sometimes both depending on the nature of the scam. If in doubt, contact a local PI to see what can be done in your situation.

Blog post is courtesy Elemental Investigations: Private Investigator Edmonton, an Edmonton, Canada based private investigator agency. They can be found online at www.elementalpi.ca