Greetings all,
Today’s Tuesday Coffee Chat was great! Thank you to all the ladies that join the meeting and the conversation. It was awesome to hear how you did on February’s Kindness Challenge!

This month’s topic was Scams and as promised during our chat, I said I would share the resources I was mentioning to you during our conversation after the fact.

Why talk about scams and why should you care? According to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre here are some statistics to consider why you may want to pay attention.

As of June 2023 there have been 32,458 reports processed (compared to 92,078 in 2022). The number of Victims of Fraud as of June 2023 21,299 (compared to 57,578 in 2022). Finally, the amount of Funds Lost to Frauds as of June 2023 was $282.5 Million (compared to $531 Million in 2022). Fraud and scams affects EVERYONE! Scammers are smart and getting trickier. They spend all day trying to trick us but there are some things you can do. Get informed!

Canadian Anti Fraud Centre: Collects information on fraud and identity theft, and provide information on past and current scams affecting Canadians.

Alberta Fraud Prevention: also has information on identity theft, text scams, mortgage fraud and odometer fraud.

AMA Current Scams in Alberta: lists those scams that are currently going around, many that are using AMA identity to scam you.

Finally, Edmonton Police Service is a great resource for those living in Edmonton and beyond. They receive reports from victims of all demographics each year. Fraudsters depend on our vulnerabilities to take advantage of us.

Here are is a Identity Theft and Fraud Victims Assistance Guide for you to use. This image will print easily that you can put on your fridge just incase. This is from Edmonton Police Service.

During our conversation around Coffee Chat, participants shared what they did when contacted by scammers. Colleen Bianchi, District 4 Director shared that when they call she answers the phone “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon” instead of saying “Hello”; the reason for this is this salutation is not the expected response and it can disconcert the scammer so they are ‘off their game’.

You can also, block the numbers on the phone and then delete them from your call history. Likewise for text scams you may receive, you can block the number and then delete the conversation from your text history. In email, block the email address, label them as spam and delete forever, to clear them from your device. These steps build a blocked call/email list and adds a layer of protection between you and the scammers.

I did compile some Anti Fraud resources that you can print off (these include all the above referenced anti fraud or scam prevention resources) as well as some additional quotes from Edmonton Police Service.

Also from EPS are the following:

• Stay Secure Online Video by Edmonton Police Service is a good watch.
• Fraud Checklist – you can print out
• Fraud Prevention Brochure

Below are some videos of people who devote their time to taking down the scammers, or ‘scamming the scammers’.

Enjoy and stay safe out there. Please share these resources with your fellow WI members and others beyond.

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This video below is another example of the scammer take down, but be aware when the scammer gets frustrated there is colourful language.