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It's the beginning of the holiday season and the Alberta RCMP are reminding people to be cyber-safe.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, it's a busy time for online shopping, and the police are reminding Albertans to follow safe cyber practices while they are shopping online.
Numerous reports have found unauthorized use of credit card data occurs well after the incident has occurred, causing people to not realize they have been the victim of fraud until after the fact and they have received their credit card bill.
In 2023, the Alberta RCMP had:
- 51 reports of unauthorized use of credit card data, with most reports occurring in November, December, and January.
- 2,399 reports of Fraud (money/property/security) greater than $5,000
- 6,374 reports of Fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5,000
- 51 reports of Mischief involving data, such as “trojan horses,” “worms” and viruses (8 in November and 3 in December)
In November and December 2023, alone, there were 432 reports of fraud (money/property/security) greater than $5,000 and 1,085 reports of fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5,000.
Because of that, the Alberta RCMP are offering tips to remain safe while shopping online this year.
They are suggesting to only buy from reputable sources, and don't let a 'steal of a deal' be too tempting, because it could lead to someone stealing the credit card info.
On top of that, they are suggesting avoiding using public Wi-Fi when making purchases or accessing banking accounts, or other sensitive personal information, and use multi-factor authentications whenever possible to make it harder for criminals to access accounts.
It's also advised to change passwords often and use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters to help make the password stronger.
Phishing is also a common tactic cyber criminals use, and phishing messages ask for people to validate information by clicking on links, which could lead to the criminal threatening people with legal action.
To help avoid being caught in a phishing scheme, the RCMP suggests verifying the legitimacy of the link by calling the company directly.
The RCMP is also advising people to check on bank accounts frequently and to review transactions often to make sure banking information hasn't been compromised.
If anyone believes they may be the victim of fraud, or are currently being targeted by fraud, it's advised to reach out to the local law enforcement and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501.
If personal or financial information has been compromised, it should be reported to the bank and credit card company.
To learn more about scams and the various types of fraud, click here.