Police are warning Chatham-Kent residents about the dangers of new sophisticated scams that are targeting vulnerable taxpayers.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service has partnered with the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police to promote a crime prevention campaign called Know Who You re Dealing With.
Constable Renee Cowell says police want to ensure residents are aware of the various scams that can result in identity theft or financial theft.
"Financial crimes and fraud are criminal activities that truly victimize individuals from all walks of life," she says. "We have noticed an increase in telephone scams, specifically where the caller claims to be from the [Canadian Revenue Agency], but is not."
She says other scam artists call claiming to be from local electricity companies.
In almost all instances, victims are threatened with various consequences if they do not pay a fee using a pre-paid credit card or wire transfer.
Police estimate that financial crimes and fraud cost Canadians more than $10-billion each year.
"Never provide personal information over the phone, unless you initiated the call. Never provide personal information over the internet or via email," Cowell warns. "Keep your access codes, user names, pins [and] passwords all private and secret."
Everyone is asked to report all suspected fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
A new crime prevention booklet can also be found at the Chatham-Kent Police Service website by clicking here.