Stay wary of fraud, Drumheller RCMP warn

    Drumheller RCMP Staff Sergeant Arthur Hopkins wants to remind readers to stay vigilent against potential frauds. A number of valley residents were near victims of scams this month.     There have always been people who attempt to take advantage of others by committing a fraud. Society has referred to them as being con-artists. Fraud is committed when someone who, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means, whether or not it is a false pretence, defrauds the public or any person whether ascertained or not, of any property, money or valuable security or any service. As technology changes, so do some methods of conducting these crimes. There are many different types of frauds; some very simple while some are more complex. I will give a few examples:
     1) One of the up and coming frauds involves the use of other people’s identities and personal information. This information is obtained in many different ways, including the internet. Personal information on Facebook and similar sites are easily retrieved. Many people who post pictures on that site like to name persons in the picture. That labeling sometimes identifies the person’s identity and a relationship eg. Grandpa Bill, Grandma, Mom, Dad. This labeling now gives a criminal an advantage, as they can call grandpa and pretend to be you. The criminal advises that there has been some incident and they need money right away. Because of the knowledge of the family relationship or friendship, the victim believes the story and sends money.
    2) Many vehicles or property are being advertised for sale at a price that is too good to be true. All you have to do is send the deposit. You send money and that is the last you hear from them.
    3) A recent scam is for the criminal to buy a vehicle from someone with a fraudulent cheque, usually on a Friday so the cheque cannot clear the bank. The seller is happy because they received their money. Prior to the cheque clearing the bank, the criminal sells the vehicle to some other unsuspecting person at a great price. The criminal may also have taken several deposits on the vehicle. The original cheque is returned to the original owner and they then want their vehicle back. Meanwhile the person who bought the car off of the criminal now has their vehicle repossessed.
    4) We have all heard of or possibly received letters from some foreign country requesting that you give them your bank account number so that they can transfer funds into the account. For this they will give you a large amount of money. You give them your account information and they clean out your account and also have access to much of your personal information.
    5) A common theme with many of these frauds is the requirement that the victim believes they are going to get something of value for themselves for little to nothing. In other words they want to receive some personal benefit. Because of this belief they overlook some obvious shortcomings.
    Some ways to protect yourself include asking for information from the suspected criminal. Get his/her name, ask to see his/her identification if contact is in person. If contacted by phone, get their phone number and call them back. If they won’t give you their phone number there is something wrong. Don’t be too fast to give money or your information. Ask for references and take time to make your decision before giving money or information.
     Do not label your pictures on social media sites.
     There are many other types of frauds. These are just a few things you can do to protect yourself. Remember if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Should you be a victim of a fraud or attempt please contact your local police.