61 Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers • Beware of scammers advising you of an unauthorized charge on your credit card account and requesting your credit card number. • Verify any calls with your credit card company by calling the phone number on the back of your credit card. • Only your credit card company can lower your interest rate. INTERNET SCAMS Scammers can use the Internet to promote fraud through unsolicited or junk emails, known as spam. Even if they only get a handful of replies from the millions of emails they send out, it is still worth their while. Be wary of replying, even just to "unsubscribe", because that will give a scammer confirmation that they have reached a real email address. Any email you receive could be spam if it comes from a sender you don't know, isn't specifically addressed to you, and/or promises you some benefit. Malicious software - also referred to as malware, spyware, key loggers, Trojan horses or Trojans - poses online security threats. Scammers try to install this software on your computer so that they can gain access to files stored on your computer and other personal details and passwords. Scammers use a wide range of tricks to get their software onto your computer. They may trick you into clicking on a link or pop-up message in a spam email, or by getting you to visit a fake website set up solely to infect people's computers. Phishing scams are all about tricking you into handing over your personal and banking details to scammers. The emails you receive might look and sound legitimate but in reality genuine organizations like a bank or a government authority will never expect you to send your personal information by an email or online. Scammers can easily copy the logo or even the entire website of a genuine organization. So don't just assume an email you receive is legitimate. If the email is asking you to visit a website to "update", "validate" or "confirm" your account information, be skeptical. Delete phishing emails. They can carry viruses that can infect your computer. Don't open any attachments or follow any links in phishing emails. Online auctions and Internet shopping can be a lot of fun and can also help you find good deals. Unfortunately, they also attract scammers. Scammers will often try to get you to deal outside of online auction sites. They may claim the winner of an auction that you were bidding on has pulled out and offer the item to you. Once you have paid, you will never hear from them again and the auction site won't be able to help you. Prevention tips • Secure your computer by activating your firewall, using an anti-virus/malware software and blocking spyware attacks. • Keep your operating system current with the latest system update. • Always think before clicking on a link or file of unknown origin. Don't feel pressured by any emails. • Be social media savvy by making sure your social networking profiles are set to private. • Don't be lured into using payment methods other than the options recommended by the Internet auction site. Don't pay by sending cash, money transfers or money orders. continued REMEMBER… You have a right to be treated with respect. You have a right to be safe. You have a right to make your own choices.
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