Here’s how to protect yourself from fraud

It’s fraud prevention month and hundreds of Quebecers have received Amazon packages they never ordered.

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“If you are targeted by such a delivery, you have to realize that your postal address has leaked somewhere,” explains Steve Waterhouse, cybersecurity expert.

Over the past year, 92,000 cases of scams have been reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, with losses representing more than half a billion dollars.

“Often people think that it is not necessary to declare a scam, but the authorities, being alerted, can compile the necessary figures to be able to mount investigations and prosecute”, insists Mr. Waterhouse.

Scammers are increasingly active, cunning and unscrupulous and their schemes are becoming more sophisticated.

“The Internet has ensured that the criminal is not just around the corner or in the nearby town, but on the other side of the planet,” explains the expert. “This communication has ensured that we are in our cultural reality, but the fact remains that many, in another time zone, think of these schemes and are able to put them into action here through electronic means.”