In this Fraud Prevention Month, the Sûreté du Québec wants to make you aware of the fraudulent schemes that exist (and are evolving) and the risks they pose to your financial security – and that of your loved ones – or even to the company you work for.   

By definition, fraud is a criminal act in which one person – through deception, lies or other means – takes goods, services or money from another. Fraud can take many forms, from phishing your personal or work address, to banking scams, identity theft or fraud in the context of a friendship or love affair.   

There are several preventive measures you can take to protect yourself, which can be grouped into four main areas:  

Discuss  

Find out what schemes exist and what signs to look out for, and educate your loved ones, especially the most vulnerable. Sometimes, fraudsters try to pass themselves off as a family member (grandchild, niece, cousin, or even friend of a family member) who is in an emergency such as an accident or arrest.  

As a preventive measure, determine a code word (that only you can know) with your loved ones. Be sure to discuss it verbally and avoid sharing it via messaging platforms.  

Detect  

With the signs in mind, take the time to detect the ones you encounter in a potential fraud situation.  

For example, if the person you’re speaking to can’t give you the right code word, you may be able to uncover a fraud attempt or realize that further checks are required.  

Report  

Reporting fraud (or attempted fraud detected by code word) is an important step.  

Contact your local police department, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the Clinique de Cyber-Criminologie (French website only) for guidance and advice.  

Discourage  

Defeating fraud attempts increases the chances of discouraging fraudsters in their solicitations.  

For more information and to find out about all the preventive measures you can take, we invite you to visit the Sûreté du Québec’s website (French website only).