October 3, 2024
Lana McNeil
Our guest speaker was former RCMP officer Lana McNeil, with a very timely presentation called “Fraud Fighting 101.” She gave a wealth of invaluable information on all kinds of frauds and scams out there, specifically those that target seniors.
We videoed the presentation for those who were unable to attend the meeting (or those who want to review the information again). You can view this on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/9EaLjx7aAgE?si=44IoCwBS-SX4A6rk
Notes from our speaker sent after the meeting:
I wanted to touch on a couple of things. Please share these with your Probus group.
1. VPN: I did not answer the VPN question very well, in my opinion. VPN (Virtual Private Networks) are digital connection for service that encrypts data, hides IP Addresses and diverts the connection channel through security measures. These are typically used for agencies (such as government employees) or corporations (such as hotels chains, INTRAnet for companies). More and more public are using VPN's to secure their web activity, which is understandable. However, like any PUBLIC product out there, one must be careful is what VPN they are using. Research the VPN before you use it. Some are great for streaming, some are great web surfing, some are better for gaming... some are best for laptop/stand alone computers, others for mobile/tablet devices.... some VPN's are free (ahem...remember my comments on 'too good to be true') and some you pay for. Also, there are some apps and streaming services that won't allow VPN use - for obvious reasons (ie tracking your views, allowing storage of your "history", cookies, etc) VPN's are more secure, but again, remember - there are hackers out there for that. KNOW before you DOWNLOAD. Again, I am NOT a tech intelligence investigator. These are just the basics...and again its such a 'rabbit hole' to go down. But I hope that clarifies a bit more.
2. E-sim cards - act the same as a sim in Canada. REMEMBER to purchase from reputable companies. Please refer to your mobile device companies such as Apple Support (https://support.apple.com), Android - which are specific to your phones. Otherwise, your service providers can sell e-sim - such as Bell, Telus, etc. Also, please visit travel.gc.ca. This is the Government of Canada's website... click on travel abroad and then travel health and safety and then using data plans outside Canada for more information. When downloading esim apps, please remember to download those that are deemed "safe" and are through your provider - ie: Google PlayStore identifies Google approved apps that are/have been screened and are considered safe and reliable.
3. End of presentations slide info:
· https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca Get Cyber Safe is a national public awareness campaign delivered by the Government of Canada and was created to inform Canadians about cyber security and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves online. (info on securing accounts, devices, wifi/bluetooth connections, phishing, whaling, spoofing.. etc )
· https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - EVERYTHING from statistics, alphabetical list of scams, reporting on fraud and scams, what to do if you are a victim, links to other resources
· www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca Royal Canadian Mounted Police - Cyber Safety - Lots of info including internet safety, cyberbullying, scams and frauds, crybercrime trends and variations.
· Credit agencies: Equifax https://consumer.equifax.ca for info, or if you are a victim of theft/identity fraud call 1-800-465-7166 TransUnsion https://www.transunion.ca risk management and credit information service. Otherwise, for databreaches including those related to credit and identity, call 1-800-663-9980