Frauds and Scams

Frauds and Scams come in many forms and from many different sources including by phone, mail, door to door, email, internet, to name a few.

If you are a victim

If you are a victim and have provided personal information and/or you have lost money, you can report it by calling 519-537-2323 x9.

If you simply wish to provide information about the scam, please submit a report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Common prevention tips 

Do not feel pressured into providing any personal information to unsolicited contact through phone calls, text messages, emails, door-to-door persons, and so on. You have the right to take your time to research and confirm their credibility.

Remember you can stop any fraud by hanging up, not replying to the email, shutting your door and not providing them with personal information.

Never feel forced into providing personal information about yourself which could lead to Identity Theft.

Call Woodstock Police or your bank if you have questions or concerns and remember, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Be wary

Be cautious of any person, business, or agency contacting you for an “urgent matter”, an "emergency", or a “legal issue”, that immediately requires your information or payment of some sort. Fraudsters are often successful because they create a sense of urgency and get you to react before thinking. Again, you have the right to take time to research and confirm if they are legitimate.

Don't pay in iTunes gift cards or bitcoin

Be very cautious of any so-called official person, government agency, business or organization that requests payment in iTunes gift cards or bitcoin. These types of payments are almost always used by fraudsters as they are nearly impossible to trace or recover. No Government or law enforcement agency will ever ask you for payment and/or donations over email.

Don't feel pressured

If you are contacted by someone seeking a donation for charity and you are unsure if they and/or the charity is legitimate, do not be pressured into making a donation for some “urgent” cause. Legitimate charities in Canada are registered by the Canada Revenue Agency. You can search the Canadian Governments list of charities. If the charity is well known, but you are unsure of the person seeking the donation, obtain the charity contact information from the phone book or online and then call to confirm the person is legitimate.

Be cautious of telephone solicitors

Do not trust Caller ID. Scammers can use Caller ID Spoofing to make their number look like any phone number including Government agencies, police departments, well-known businesses, and so on.

Common frauds and scams

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - CAFC collects information and criminal intelligence on frauds and scams. If you are suspicious that something or someone might be fraudulent or you just want to learn more, you can browse known scams and have a look at the Little Black Book of Scams resources. Please share this information with family and friends. Knowledge and caution is the best protection against fraud.