(SOUTHERN BRUCE COUNTY, ON) – The South Bruce Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received 2 reports of identity fraud on March 3, 2014. One from a resident in the Municipality of Kincardine, the other from a resident in the Municipality of South Bruce.
A simple way to protect yourself from Identity Theft and Identity Fraud is to protect your passwords and every other piece of your personal information. If you wouldn’t provide the information to a stranger at the front door, then don’t share it with an online stranger or unsolicited phone caller.
An easy way to detect Identity Fraud is to monitor your monthly bills. If you stop receiving a bill that normally arrives each month, or receive a bill for goods or services that you didn’t arrange, this may be a sign that your identity has been compromised. If your identity has been compromised, you need to contact police as soon as possible.
Remember that there’s no magic to preventing fraud. If something seems too good to be true, it likely is. Fraud remains a multi-billion dollar per year enterprise that will only end when the scammers stop making money.
March is fraud prevention month. This is a good opportunity to raise awareness and promote fraud prevention. You work hard to earn your money, so work hard to protect it.
Anyone interested in more information on fraud can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1 888 495 8501 or check online at http://www.antifraudcentre.ca/.
The South Bruce OPP is requesting anyone with information that can assist police to call 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or send a web-tip to crimestop-gb.org, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.