Top 5 online scams
With the ongoing pandemic, Canadians have increasingly relied on the Internet to conduct everyday activities, such as, buying and selling goods or looking for a job. During Cyber Security Awareness Month's Computer Week, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) would like to remind you to be vigilant when surfing the Internet.
| Fraud type | Reports | Victims | Losses (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merchandise | 1,414 | 1,052 | $1,528,100 |
| Service | 1,366 | 1,018 | $1,461,200 |
| Sale of Merchandise by Complainant | 1,076 | 793 | $691,800 |
| Job | 560 | 232 | $710,000 |
| Counterfeit Merchandise | 309 | 281 | $100,000 |
Note: It is estimated that less than 5% of fraud victims report their occurrences to the CAFC.
Top tips to protect yourself
- Be cautious of greatly reduced prices (e.g. 80%). Know the market value of products
- Notice text with spelling errors or references to the product as "the item"
- Beware of pets offered at below market value or "free"
- Whenever possible, meet and purchase a pet in person
- Locate and verify the company's contact information (address, phone number, email) before you buy
- Look for customer reviews and ratings from third-party sources
- Be mindful where you post your resume
- Scammers use legitimate websites to seek out victims
- Take the time to research an employer and confirm that they are hiring
- Learn more tips and tricks for protecting yourself
- Remain current on frauds and protect others by sharing what you know
- Tell two others and ask them to do the same
- An unbroken chain of 25 people telling two would cover the entire population of Canada
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