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By rdnewsNOW staff

you could be scammed

RCMP caution Albertans to be wary this cyber shopping season

Nov 15, 2024 | 1:23 PM

Alberta RCMP want Albertans to be very mindful when shopping online this holiday season.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are both on the horizon — Nov. 30 and Dec. 2.

RCMP say there are always many reports of unauthorized uses of credit card data, and often well after a purchase has occurred.

In Alberta RCMP jurisdictions in 2023, there were a total of:

• 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)

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In Alberta RCMP jurisdictions in November and December of 2023, there were a total of:

• 432 reports of Fraud (money/property/security) greater than $5,000
• 1,085 reports of Fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5,000

Some tips for safe online shopping:

• Only buy from reputable sources. Don’t let a steal of a deal lead to someone stealing your credit card info.
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi, especially when making transactions or accessing banking or other sensitive personal information.
• Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible, making it more difficult for criminals to access your accounts.
• Change your passwords often! Using a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters helps make them stronger.
• Phishing is a commonly used tactic for cyber crime. Phishing messages ask you to validate information by clicking links and may threaten you with legal action. Verify legitimacy by calling the company directly.
• Check your accounts frequently and review transactions often to ensure your information hasn’t been compromised.

If you believe you may be a victim of fraud, or are currently being targeted by fraud, please report it to your local law enforcement and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501. Instances of compromised personal and/or financial information should be reported to your bank and credit card company. To learn more about the various types of frauds and scams, please visit the CAFC’s scam webpage.