October 2, 2025

Constable Elicia Houle

Fraud Fighting 101

We welcomed Constable Elicia Houle from the Salmon Arm RCMP Detachment. 

Her first bit of advice was to bookmark the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website as it has a wealth of information. Their website is at https://antifraudcentre.ca/index-eng.htm

Scams target YOU ... Protect Yourself!

• You work hard for your money.

• Fraudsters are real.

• You’re a target.

• Knowledge is your power.

• Report it!

Fraud Schemes

• these include things like Advanced Fee Loans, Anti-Virus  Scam, Buying and Selling Online, Cheque Overpayment Fraud, Emergency Scam, False Charities, Identity Theft, Inheritance, Lottery Scam, Overpayment Scam, Phishing, Spoofing, Prize Pitch, Ransomware / Cryptolocker, Romance Scam, Service Scam and Travel/ Vacation.

• the numbers and values of reported incidences keeps going up, but the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre estimates that only 5 to 10% of people report fraud so it's really way worse than it seems.

Identity Theft

• Criminals can use your stolen or reproduced information to:

  • access your computer/email

  • access your bank accounts

  • open new bank accounts

  • transfer bank balances

  • apply for loans and credit cards

  • buy goods and services

  • get passports or receive government benefits

• Protect yourself by:

  • being wary of unsolicited e-mails, text messages, telephone calls or mail asking you for personal or financial information

  • checking your credit reports, bank and credit card statements and report any irregularities

  • shredding personal and financial documents before putting them in the garbage

  • retrieving your mail on a regular basis to limit possible mail theft

  • when you move, notifying the post office and your relevant financial institutions and service providers

Phishing and Smishing

• Phishing is when you get an unsolicited email that claims to be from a legitimate organization, such as financial institutions, businesses or government agencies. Scammers ask you to provide or verify, either via email or by clicking on a web link, personal or financial information, like your credit card number, passwords and social insurance number.

• Smishing is the same thing, except it occurs via text messages. These messages often copy the tone and logo of organizations you trust, and usually include a call to action. They take many shapes and forms but the bottom line is that they seek your personal details, like your credit card number, passwords and social insurance number.

• Protect yourself by:

  • Don't click on links from unsolicited messages

  • Don't download attachments from unsolicited messages

  • Watch for spelling mistakes

  • Don't trust a message just because the email address looks legitimate; fraudsters can spoof the address

  • Beware of messages claiming to be from the Government of Canada or a law enforcement agency; they will never contact you to offer funds via email or e-transfer

Red Flags: Things to watch out for

• Spelling mistakes

• Personal/financial information requests

• Unsolicited calls, texts, or emails

• Unsolicited friend requests on social media

For more information about these scams and more, remember to check out the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre.ca/index-eng.htm. You can also call the non-emergency number for the Salmon Arm RCMP detachment at 250-832-6044.

And finally ... if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!