What is the most important resolution for victims of fraud? Is it to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice? Is it to assess your vulnerabilities with a view to mitigating against future attack? Is it to attempt to recover the funds that you have lost? Or, is it best to simply cut your losses, accept your fate, and move on?
Canada has some of the highest mobile data costs in the world – yes, the world! So when we get the chance to use “free” WiFi away from home we are happy to connect. Who doesn’t want to stream that tv show, movie or music list over free WiFi? Why use up your own data plan when you can use up your coffee shops? What could possibly go wrong? Well, many things.
My name is Mark Fenton and I specialize in investigating online crimes. When I worked in the Computer Crime Unit one of my side projects was tracing fraudulent emails. I was curious about who was behind them and why people kept falling for them. We often laugh and ask, “Who would fall for these?” I think the answer would surprise you.
. In this age where almost everything can be accessed digitally, your password falling into the wrong hands can mean letting thieves get access to your sensitive data that they can use to steal your identity, steal your money, steal your reputation, and a lot more.
Online romance scams have been prevalent since the dawn of the internet age. Each year, hundreds of thousands of individuals from all walks of life fall victim to online dating scams. In fact, the U.S. alone recently reported that their annual tally on online romance scams reached $230 million.
You’ve met that perfect person online ? they make you laugh, they’re charming and you feel really connected to them. The problem is, they say they live in another country. Not only that, but they have also been asking you for small amounts of money, or gifts, over the time you have known them. You send the money and gifts because they are… perfect. What you don’t know is that this person may not be the dream come true you think they are.
Frauds targeting businesses and organizations are rampant. The reliance on electronic transactions, e-transfers, electronic communications and other modern day business systems eases the processing of corporate transactions, however, these same systems can be quite vulnerable to manipulation by professional fraudsters. Your organization has to take steps to thwart these online criminals. Just as having a fire alarm or burglar alarm, organizations must evaluate their fraud risks and take steps to mitigate these risks.
A Toronto bureaucrat was fired following a fraud probe concerning $11M in COVID-19 funds. The probe?s court documents state that Sanjay Madan took tens of thousands of dollars to India. According to court documents, Madan worked as a computer specialist in Toronto for the Ontario government prior to allegedly flying to India together with tens of thousands of dollars in cash after he was confronted about the missing money.
Fraudsters and scammers do not rest during the holidays and so officials of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre are working with the police overtime to warn Canadians about the 12 common types of holiday fraud in Canada.
Fraud has become increasingly difficult to avoid these days. According to the 2020 Fraud Survey by CPA Canada, with better access to technology, it seems that we are falling victim to fraud due to unsafe and outdated techniques that are used to protect personal information and other sensitive data.
