Fraudsters are professionals at deception and will do everything in their power to get what they want from you, including using your emotions against you. Fraudsters trap people from all walks of life, even those in cyber security!

If you fall victim to a scam, don't be ashamed or scared to talk about it. By sharing our stories and encounters with fraud we can reduce the negative stigma of shame surrounding getting scammed.

Because of this stigma, fraud is often a hard subject to bring up with loved ones like parents or grandparents. If you think a friend or family member has been scammed here are some steps you can take to help:

1. Help your loved one acknowledge they are a victim of a scam

   1. Victims might be in denial or not even realize they have been or are being tricked and for others they don’t want to admit they’ve been tricked and will want to hide it

   2. Watch for warning signs like changes in their behaviour and mood, spending habits, health, and even physical appearance. Not only do victims experience financial loss but stress, shame and emotional loss as well.

2. Report the scam 

3. Contact us and any other financial institutions of the victim

4. Protect their personal information moving forward

   1. Once scammers have their victim’s personal information, they can use it against your loved one in the future. Be sure to reach out to the credit bureau (Equifax and TransUnion) to report it. These organizations place an alert on file and will notify your loved one if anyone attempts to apply for credit in their name.

   2. Also have them change all online passwords, and possibly even change their phone number (if necessary)

5. Make sure they are supported emotionally

   1. Finding out you’ve been scammed feels terrible and can harm a person’s mental health. Your loved one will need emotional support during this time. 

   2. What might help the most is just listening and letting the person know that you are there for them and want to help them find ways to move forward and not dwell on the situation.

   3. It might be a good idea to encourage them to talk to someone outside of their circle, like a counselor

If you believe you have or could possibly be getting scammed, reach out to us – we’re here to help!