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Don't be a victim of fraud |
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It's a sad fact of life that con artists prey on people most likely to
get fooled into parting with their money. In their book, newcomers to
Canada are prime targets, which is why immigrants who have recently
moved to the country should be wary about get-rich-quick schemes.
Featured in this
section are some common scams, as revealed by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, Revenue Canada, PhoneBusters and other organizations
committed to fighting fraud.
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The Nigerian business letter scam |
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Watch out for the Nigerian/West African business letter scam! For years
now, businesses, learning institutions, and government departments have
been receiving e-mails from senders posing as Nigerian/West African
government or business officials offering to share large sums of money.
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Read more...
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Watch out for work-at-home scams |
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Very often, you will see ads in
the paper or a notice on a telephone pole explaining how you can open a
home-based business that will generate huge dollars.
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Read more...
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Who's looking over your shoulder? |
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While punching in your PIN (personal identification number) at a bank
machine or a gas station, a stranger might inconspicuously peer over
your shoulder. Here’s what could happen:
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Read more...
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Pyramid schemes a no-win game |
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Your neighbour, who has become very friendly, invites you to a party
where you'll have a chance to learn about an exciting new sales
opportunity. She can't say more, but all will be revealed at the party.
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Read more...
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Prize pitch (lottery) scams |
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The classic prize pitch scam involves victims receiving notification by
post, phone, or e-mail indicating they have won a prize (monetary or
other valued item).
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Read more...
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'Phishing' for your financial info |
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"Phishing" or "brand spoofing" is the act of sending an e-mail to a
user falsely claiming to be a legitimate enterprise in an attempt to
scam the user into disclosing private information. Government,
financial institutions and online auctions/pay services are common
targets of brand spoofing.
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Read more...
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Donate wisely during relief efforts |
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In the aftermath of recent hurricanes in the United States, Canadian
police have warned the public to be wary about approaches by
little-known organizations to donate funds to various assistance and
relief efforts.
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Read more...
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Identity theft can cost you big |
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Identity theft has become an increasingly popular crime in Canada as a
result of recent advances in technology. Identity theft involves
stealing, misrepresenting or hijacking the identity of another person
or business and provides an effective means to commit other crimes.
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Read more...
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Credit card number theft |
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Similar to other schemes, this is a scam designed to convince you to
give up your credit card number over the phone or via e-mail.
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Read more...
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Advance fee loans can prove costly |
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You might see an ad promising guaranteed loans for people with poor
credit ratings. These little-known "lending" companies might request an
upfront fee before they'll proceed with the loan.
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Read more...
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Be wary about ‘bank inspector’ calls |
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This is similar to the credit card scam. A caller claims to be an
inspector or official from your bank, saying an audit is being done on
your account.
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Read more...
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Home repairmen might clean you up |
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Here’s the scenario:Your roof is caving in. Coincidentally, a flyer
arrives that offers a good price on roof repair. After you call, the
roofer arrives at your door.
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Read more...
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Collect calls can cost you a fortune |
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A simple scam, this is one operation that continues to pop up every now
and again. What generally happens is you receive a call from an
operator asking you to accept an urgent collect call. While most
customers won't accept a call if they don't recognize the name, some do
because they worry it might be from a friend or relative who is in
trouble.
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Read more...
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Websites that hijack your phone |
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People can use your modem without your knowledge to dial long-distance telephone numbers and bill your phone account. This is done through the use of computer programs you may inadvertently download.
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Read more...
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Business opportunity as a 'middleman' |
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Have you ever been offered a job to become the middleman for a person/
company looking to expand into North America? Sounds like a good
business opportunity!
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Read more...
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How to shop safely online |
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Here's a fact that newcomers to the country will find interesting:
Canadians love to shop on the Internet. Canadian households spent just
over $3 billion shopping on the Internet on everything from airplane
tickets to books, according to the most recent Household Internet Use
Survey (HIUS). Given the growing popularity of online shopping, it is
important for people, especially newcomers who aren't used to buying
over the Net, to choose wisely before making that purchase.
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Read more...
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Features 
