Police from the Renfrew detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) put out a warning on holiday scams targeting the area.
The press release Dec. 9 notes that even though it’s a time for giving, many scammers are taking advantage of community members.
“The next few weeks are typically the busiest time of year for many of us. There is an increase in travel, shopping, and celebrations with friends and family,” officials said. “Our busy schedules may cause us to have less energy and time to be hypervigilant about seasonal swindles.”
In the region police note there are a number of scams holiday fraudsters could be running.
Counterfeit merchandise
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) notes that people create websites that look like real manufacturers and offer products at a “huge” discount.
Flashy discounts and ads directing to the websites of manufacturers could be two ways to tell of this scam.
Officials are urging people to thoroughly look through the site before purchasing items, search for warnings posted online and look for “red flags” on the website.
Charity scams
“During the season of giving, make sure your donations are going to the right places,” the CAFC said.
These scams involve fake, misleading and fraudulent donations to a charity, organization or religious cause. Fraudsters are likely to apply pressure for donations.
Asking for written information on the charity and doing research can help people avoid their money getting into the wrong hands.
“Remember to always ask the solicitor for the charitable tax number and confirm their registration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).”
Fraudulent gift cards
During the holiday season, gift cards can be a popular way to show appreciation.
At times, officials said, gift cards in-store could be tampered with, like bar codes being added to the back of the card. They should be treated like cash, the CAFC says on its website, making it unlikely those scammed will get their money back.
Fake secret Santa
A pyramid scheme going around online could see people’s personal information leaked to others.
Gift exchanges on social media with a group could seem like a fun activity where people send one gift and receive multiples in return, but officials warn this could be a part of a fraud.
This exchange collects personal information. Pyramid schemes result in only those on the top profiting and they are illegal in Canada.
Shipping frauds
Receiving text messages or emails about packages is common during the holidays, which makes this scam that much more dangerous.
The CAFC says that people need to keep track of packages and not click on any links unless it is legitimate. Frauds will often note a package can’t be delivered or held for payment, and could even ask people to send money to a fake company, like the North Pole Express.