Scam Seminar

“It’s never going to happen to me.”
This is exactly what Helen Power thought about scams, fraud and identity theft, until one of her favourite past times let her down.
Internet shopping on sites like Ebay was something Power had faith in for years. After making about 30 purchases of clothing, jewelrey and make-up, she couldn’t resist a sparkly new necklace and earring set a seller had just put up for sale.
Power did what she has always done. She gave her name, address and credit card information and waited for the mail to come. After waiting a few weeks she became impatient and e-mailed the seller.
He said he had sent out the item and it should have arrived, so he told Power he would put a trace on it. Within a day Power received an e-mail saying it was somewhere in the air, probably on a Chicago airline.
Power never received her jewelery set and the seller has stopped acknowledging her.
Corporal Jeannette Doucette of the RCMP said scams happen to everybody. She held a seminar Oct.1 to help people protect themselves from scams.
Having education sessions are important for everybody, because people of all ages fall victim to scam every day, she said.
“It gives them tips, tells them what’s out there, what types of fraud, scams, identity theft, what to be careful about, what to provide like as far as personal information."
It is important to pay attention scams and fraud and not pretend they’re not out there, she said.
"There's always a lot of scams out there and you just have to be cognoscente of what they are and not to fall prey to these particular scams and just to be vigilant as to what type of information these people are asking for and not provide that
information."
Rita Arsenault attended the seminar and said it helped make the scams a reality.
"It's a great way to be reminded to be careful. That's what I found helped me. You're not just imagining you have to be careful, you know you have to be."
Power also attended the meeting and learned a lot to help her escape from going through the same scam experience.
Scams are disappointing, and sometimes people just don’t want to believe they’re out there, she said.
“It’s just the thought that you feel it’s a legitiamate service, and then it doesn’t work. It’s a big let down.”
But scams are out there. Doucette said one in five people in Canada fall victim to scams and fraud every day and the only people who are feeling bad are the victims themselves.
One of the biggest things scam artists go after, Doucette said, are things like charities. One scam artist used to call people and ask for money for the Child’s Wish Foundation, knowing people would think they meant the Children’s Wish Foundation. She said people must be very careful because you never know what these con artists will come up with.
“Scam artists are so smart. This is what they do, they go after your heart and soul.”
Ever since her Ebay let down, Power hasn’t used the service, and she won’t do any more online shopping.