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As fraud cases rise in Estevan, interim police chief Warren Morrical is offering crucial advice on how residents can protect themselves from scams, including cryptocurrency fraud and stolen credit card usage.
Morrical said there has been a variety of scams, including cryptocurrency purchases that turned out to be fraudulent, e-transfers for goods where the goods never arrived and the sellers became unreachable, and the use of stolen credit cards. Four individuals were charged with using stolen credit cards in the past month.
If your credit or debit card is stolen or missing, Morrical urges you to report it immediately to the police and your bank to prevent further fraudulent usage.
He noted that one of the best ways to avoid being the victim of a scam or fraud is awareness.
"Make sure you're using a reputable online business that you're dealing with, confirm websites, and ensure that you're speaking with the people you think you're speaking with," said Morrical.
Another good practice is to obtain items before paying or meet the vendor in person and e-transfer once you have taken possession of the goods.
Morrical added that the public should be familiar with common scams, noting that no legitimate business will request money transfers or personal information before paying you or providing a loan.
"If someone's asking for that information ahead of time or asking for money, bells should go off indicating you may be a victim of a fraud."