FRAUD WATCH

Check out the latest scams below (updated October 23, 2024)

Check out How to Protect Yourself (updated August 22, 2024)

Check out the many resources in this section (updated September 21, 2024)

Welcome to our Fraud Watch page. Here you will find information on fraud and scams, and how to spot them. We provide links to official websites that show the numerous ways online thieves are trying to steal your money and/or identity, and websites that can help you prevent fraud or coach you if you become a victim.

No matter how careful we think we are, scammers try to get the upper hand. They prey on our fears and anxieties with scare tactics that can hinder our better judgment. They try to trick us with email attachments that install malware on our computer, or send us links to fake web pages that steal our usernames and passwords.

Be wary of emails, SMS texts, letters, and phone calls from individuals and companies you don’t know, or messages that are unexpected. Be especially careful with “important” messages using scare tactics. And, don’t believe any offers for making a quick buck; if it seems too good to be true, it usually is!

Have you encountered a scam recently? Send an image or forward the email to FraudAlert@opcug.ca. If we haven’t already posted something similar, we’ll feature it on this page. In order to protect your privacy, we will remove your identifiers.

RESOURCES

How to protect yourself online:
Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
Get Cyber Safe
Stay Safe Online (new)
Pig Butchering This scam costs victims billions of dollars annually (new)
CIRA Canadian Shield (free DNS resolver and malware/scam protection)
Consumer Reports Security Planner (step-by-step instructions for all your devices)

Naked Security by Sophos:
Phishing tricks that really work – and how to avoid them

Better Business Bureau (BBB) Check a company’s rating before hiring

Websites that list newer and older scams in circulation:
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (COVID-19 fraud)
CIRA Cybersecurity News (vast list of security risks)
Competition Bureau Canada
10 most costly scams for Canadians in 2018 (with advice from the BBB)

What to do if you become a victim of fraud:
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Report a scam or fraud Government of Ontario (includes a good list of scam types)

HOW SAFE ARE YOUR PASSWORDS?

If you allow Google Chrome to save your passwords, you can check them at https://passwords.google.com/ and see if any are compromised, reused, or weak.
See 9 Rules for creating and safeguarding strong passwords (CNET)

Password Managers:
Best for 2024 (commercial, PC Magazine))
Best for 2024 (free, PC Magazine)
9 Best (free and commercial, Wired Magazine)

If any of your passwords are on this list (simple text), you should change them: Top100kUsedPasswords (use Ctrl+F to search the list)

Check if your passwords have been pawned:
https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords

Check if your email address has been pawned:
https://haveibeenpwned.com/

SECURE YOUR ROUTER, COMPUTER, and OTHER DEVICES

The Gibson Research Corporation (GRC) This venerable institution has been around for decades. Check if your computer ports are open to attack with their free service: ShieldsUP!!
CIRA Canadian Shield (free DNS resolver and malware/scam protection for all your devices)
Consumer Reports Security Planner (step-by-step instructions for all your devices)