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March is Fraud Prevention Month

Fraud Prevention Month is an annual public awareness campaign held in March that works to prevent
Canadians from becoming victims of fraud by helping them recognize reject and report it.

Have you ever been cheated out of money or something that you valued? Or perhaps, you have known a family member or friend who has been scammed in some way? Here’s one person’s story… “A friend of mine’s sister had been dating a fellow for a couple of months and, because of that connection, my friend trusted his sister’s ‘boyfriend’ and guess what? This ‘boyfriend’ scammed my friend and his sister out of $2,000. How did the scammer do this you may ask? Well, my friend was unemployed at the time and getting desperate and the ‘boyfriend’ had an in on his weak spot and offered him a job and the rest fell into place from there.”
One of the great things about March is — its Fraud Prevention Month #FPM2017 and we’d like to bring awareness to this campaign along with providing some resources and tips!
As per the Competition Bureau:
2017 marks the 13th anniversary of Fraud Prevention Month
This year marks the 13th anniversary of the annual education and awareness campaign that began in 2004 by encouraging Canadians to recognize, reject and report fraud.
Spearheaded by the Competition Bureau, Fraud Prevention Month is a unique effort that brings together over 80 law enforcement agencies and public and private sector organizations to combat fraud.
During the month of March, the Bureau and its partners in the Fraud Prevention Forum carry out numerous activities and host a variety of events to inform Canadians about the impact of fraud and how to protect themselves.
Check out the tips below, and visit the Bureau’s fraud prevention portal for more information and many other resources to help you fight fraud.
As per the Competition Bureau:
Tips to Protect Yourself from Fraud

The Government of Canada’s Anti-Fraud Centre:
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is the central agency in Canada that collects information and criminal intelligence on such matters as mass marketing fraud (e.g., telemarketing), advance fee fraud (e.g., West African letters), Internet fraud and identification theft complaints.

Alarmtech hopes everyone stays safe from scams this year and for years to come!