Press Release
Ontario is providing seniors with tips to protect themselves from scams and fraudsters.
These include:
•Keep all personal documents in a secure place (if you don’t need them, do not carry your birth certificate, passport, or SIN card).
•Never tell another person your bank card PIN or account passwords, and take care to cover your hand when entering your PIN at bank machines and when making store purchases.
•Safely dispose of old bills and bank statements (shredding is best).
•If you’re on the web, do not click on pop-up windows or respond to e-mails by people you do not know, especially if they include attachments or links to websites.
Your bank or credit union will not send you anything by e-mail unless you ask them to.
•Never give out your credit card, bank account, or personal information to someone over the phone, at the door, or over the Internet unless you know the person or organization you are dealing with, or you made the contact.
•Do not sign an agreement or contract to buy anything without taking enough time to think it over.
If a salesperson insists that an “offer” is “time limited” and you must decide that moment, it probably is better not to buy.
•Be suspicious if someone you don’t know asks you to send them money or a cheque, or to return money they “accidentally” sent you.
•Before hiring someone or agreeing to have work done on your home, ask for proof of identity and references—and check them.
Helping Ontario seniors protect themselves from scams and fraud is part of the McGuinty government’s commitment to providing more accessible, safer, and secure services.
“Fraud is a fast-growing crime that often targets older adults,” noted Linda Jeffrey, the minister responsible for seniors.
“Seniors can protect themselves and their families from scams by asking questions, deleting e-mails from unknown sources, and refusing to be pressured into making quick decisions that involve large sums of money,” she said.
The “Grandparent Scam” involves a stranger calling a senior and pretending to be a grandchild in distress.
The caller asks for a significant sum of money to be wire transferred within a short period of time.
Fraud is the fastest-growing economic crime in North America today and seniors are among the most vulnerable targets.
