Police warn of new technology being used by creative scammers

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE

*************************

ORILLIA – You will need to concentrate on strategies utilized by fraudsters, which is able to assist Canadians fight cyber enabled frauds. We’re exposing a number of the high methods and ways fraudsters use to victimize Canadians that can assist stop victimization.

Listed below are some completely different makes use of of expertise that fraudsters might use:

 QR Codes: Fraudsters might declare to be a service supplier, authorities company, or monetary establishment. As an alternative of asking the sufferer to click on on a hyperlink or obtain an attachment, fraudsters might instruct the sufferer to scan a QR code. QR codes may be inserted into emails and texts to direct potential victims to fraudulent or malicious web sites or to ship funds to fraudsters. Fraudsters ship QR codes to victims to help with the switch of cryptocurrency by way of automated teller machines (ATM).

Spoofing: A way utilized by fraudsters to mislead and persuade you that you’re speaking with individuals you understand, or reliable companies and organizations. Fraudsters can change the caller-ID that’s displayed in your telephone, the sender tackle in an e-mail, and infrequently mimic reliable web sites.

Phishing: Phishing messages can take many kinds similar to an e-mail or direct message, a telephone name (vishing) or a textual content message (smishing) from a fraudster pretending to be from a reliable supply like a good firm or somebody you understand. The fraudster might use ways like pressing or threatening language to have you ever enter your private data. Fraudsters can use this data to steal identities or to achieve entry to private and/or enterprise accounts.

Pop-Ups: These are bins that pop-up in your pc or system display screen. They could say you have got gained a prize or that your pc is contaminated, together with a toll-free quantity so that you can contact. Clicking on pop-ups might set up malicious software program or lead you to a fraudulent web site.

Distant Entry Software program: Fraudsters persuade victims into downloading distant entry software program or functions that present fraudsters complete management of the sufferer’s good telephone or pc. As soon as entry is supplied, fraudsters can steal your private information, emails, social media accounts and management to your cellular or on-line financial institution accounts.

Synthetic Intelligence (AI): Developments in AI are prone to exacerbate cyber enabled frauds impacting Canadians, particularly as deepfakes turn out to be extra plausible on social media websites. These developments have offered new methods for fraudsters to focus on victims by way of instruments able to creating fraudulent content material together with textual content messages, photos, audio, video and information.

Should you or somebody you understand has been a sufferer of cybercrime or fraud, contact your native police service or the CAFC by way of the Online Reporting System, or by telephone at 1-888-495-8501. The general public is inspired to report back to the CAFC, even when a monetary loss didn’t happen.

The OPP might be posting ideas and sources on-line. Members of the general public are inspired to interact within the dialog on social media to assist them acknowledge, reject, and report fraud by utilizing the hashtags #FPM2024, and #kNOwfraud.

*************************