Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 101 Fraud Cent$ Toolkit for Seniors Helping Seniors Avoid Fraud UTILITY COMPANY IDENTIFICATION FRAUD Someone dressed as a utility company service person arrives at the customer’s door requesting entrance to service company equipment. The service person shows the customer their company identification card and the customer lets them in. They may be casing your home for a future break-in or they may locate your purse, steal it, and run out. What You Can Do About Utility Company Identification Fraud Contact the utility company to see if someone from their company is working in your neighbourhood and verify the person’s identification with the utility company. Do not let anyone into your home unless you are sure they are who they claim to be. If you suspect fraud, report it to PhoneBusters. If you are a victim, contact the local police (if applicable) or the local detachment of the RCMP. VEHICLE SALES FRAUD (Cars, Trucks, Trailers) Con artists advertise vehicle sales in newspapers, bargain magazines, and legitimate on-line sites such as Kijiji, auto-trader, or Craig’s List. They list the vehicles in good condition for an unbelievably low price and may mock or spoof the use of online payment companies such as EBay, Pay Pal, and Yahoo. They require the use of a money-transfer company like Western Union or Money Gram. What You Can Do About Utility Company Identification Fraud Know who you are dealing with. Independently confirm your seller’s name, street address, and telephone number. Beware of out-of-country sellers and use your computer to research your potential purchase. Resist the pressure to “act now”. Question if the car, truck, or trailer is too good of a deal. Is it reasonable for a person to sell a highend vehicle for so little money? Beware of the many excuses the con artist uses such as the vehicle was an inheritance, this is an emergency “sell off” to pay for medical expenses, this is a divorce situation, or the new owner does not drive. Never agree to wire funds to a seller; a legitimate seller will not pressure you to only use a money-transfer company. If the seller wants to use a service you have not heard of, be sure to check out its reliability. Beware of con artists using free email addresses (such as hotmail.com, gmail.com, google.com, yahoo.com, rocketmail.com, or msn.com) to hide behind. If you suspect vehicle sales fraud, report it to PhoneBusters. If you are a victim, contact the local police (if applicable) or the local detachment of the RCMP.
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