If you have any concerns that you may be the victim of a

scam, contact your local authorities and local BBB.

CONTACT US

Central & Northern Alberta 16102 100 Ave.Edmonton, AlbertaT5P 0L3780-482-2341info@edmonton.bbb.orgbbb.org/edmonton

Southern Alberta & East Kootenay5-1709 8 Ave. NECalgary, AlbertaT2E 0S9403-531-8784info@calgary.bbb.orgbbb.org/calgary

Atlantic Provinces303-1888 Brunswick St.Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3J8877-663-2363info@ap.bbb.orgbbb.org/atlantic-provinces

Manitoba & Northwest Ontario1030 B Empress St.Winnipeg, MB R3G 3H4204-989-9010 complaints@bbbmb.cabbb.org/manitoba

Eastern Ontario & the Outaouais 505-700 Industrial Ave.Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Y9(613) 237-4856info@ottawa.bbb.org bbb.org/ottawa

Central Ontario903-30 Duke St. WestKitchener, OntarioN2H 3W5519-579-3080info@mwco.bbb.orgbbb.org/kitchener

Saskatchewan980 Albert St.Regina, Saskatchewan S4R 2P7306.352.7601info@sask.bbb.orgsask.bbb.org

Western Ontario PO Box 2153London, OntarioN6A 4E3519-673-3222info@westernontario.bbb.orgbbb.org/western-ontario

Vancouver Island220-1175 Cook St.Victoria, British Columbia V8V 4A1877-826-4222info@vi.bbb.orgbbb.org/vancouver-island

Mainland British Columbia404-788 Beatty St. Vancouver, BC V6B 2M1604-682-2711contactus@mbc.bbb.orgbbb.org/mbc

#BBBTOP10SCAMSgo.bbb.org/BC-bbbtop10scams

*Trade-mark of the Council of Better Business Bureau(s), used under Licence.

CANADA’S MOST RECOGNIZED

TOP 10 SCAMS LIST OF THE YEAR

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU

Top 10 Scams THIS YEAR’S TOP

10 SCAMS LIST IS A GOOD NEWS,BAD NEWS AFFAIR.

The good news is Canadians lost less money in 2015 than they did in 2014. Just over $61 million was lost in 2015. That compares with over $70 million in 2014.

Despite the improved numbers from the

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, they indicate only

about 5% of what was actually lost due to a

lack of reporting from those who choose not to

come forward.

The bad news is Canadians are still falling for

some of the same old scams. The number

one scam by sheer volume of cash lost is

catphishing. However topping the list in terms

of number of complaints is the ongoing Canada

Revenue Agency Tax Scam.

This has been a plague

across the country this

year. Offi cial looking CRA

emails asking for personal

information or phone

calls from scammers who

threaten you with arrest

or deportation if you don’t

pay up.

Catphishing and online

dating scams continue

to be money leaders

for the scam world. The

scammers take their time

to build a relationship

with their potential ‘love

interest’ while never

meeting face to face. The

trust they inspire is the

hook to get your cash.

2

1

3

EXTORTION SCAMCRA; Phishing Emails and Threatening Phone Calls $2.9 Million Lost

HEARTBREAK SCAMCatphishing

$15+ Million Lost

• Understand that the CRA does not operate this way

• Hang up the phone

• Delete any emails claiming to be from CRA and askingfor SIN

• Contact CRA directly if you have any concerns

• Don’t give out personal information to strangers

• Don’t send money to strangers

• They will make plenty of excuses why you can’t meet in person

• Be wary of sob stories

• Try and get out of the dating site quickly

Everyone likes to win

something, but you have

to be in it to win it. Many

Canadians fall prey to fake

lottery scammers as they

try and convince their

victims they have won a

grand prize in a US lottery.

The catch is they must pay

a fee in order to collect the

non-existent windfall.

PRIZE SCAMFake Lottery Winnings$6.6 Million Lost

• If you didn’t enter a contest, you didn’t win anything

• If you did enter a contest and won, you should not have to pay a fee to receive winnings

• Contact lottery corporation yourself

2016_BBBScamsBrochure_fnl.indd 1-4 2016-03-01 11:58 AM

www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Spear phishing cost

Canadians a lot of money

in the past year. We are

easily duped by emails and

fake websites that look

and feel like businesses

and corporate entities

that we use on a regular

basis. Mock ups are easy

for a savvy scammer to

build and phishing emails

can seem very legit. Their

booty is just a click away.

7IMPOSTER SCAMSpear Phishing$5.8 Million Lost

• Shop on legit and secure websites

• If you receive an email that looks and feels suspicious, contact the business directly

• Do not input personal information if you are not sure who sent the email

• Do not follow any questionable links and avoid pop-up ads and impulse buys

Investment fraudsters

earn your trust then lose

your hard-earned money

on shady investments

that never existed, and

pyramid schemes they say

can’t lose. Often you are

told the investment carries

little risk with guaranteed

high returns.

4FINANCIAL SCAMInvestment Fraud$6 Million Lost

• Do your research and invest with companies you trust

• Look to BBB for Business Reviews on investment fi rms

• Get a second opinion before you invest

• Understand all investment carries risk

6

Free trial scams involve

enticing consumers, to

sign-up for a free trial

or pay a small fee to

access an offer. Once

credit card information is

handed over, victims are

unknowingly enrolled in a

monthly subscription and

trapped into making costly

payments which were not

properly disclosed.

SUBSCRIPTION SCAMFree Trial Traps$2.982 Million Lost

• Read all terms and conditions; these should be readily available

• Ignore the impulse to sign up for something in a pop-up or banner ad

• Read consumer reviews about the business or product

• Contact BBB about any concerns

This is an ongoing

problem for those

looking to earn money

reviewing service levels

at a variety of businesses.

The scammers send you

a big cheque in order to

fulfi ll your duties, ask you

to deposit it and send a

large portion back to the

‘company.’ The cheque

bounces and you lose out.

EMPLOYMENT SCAMSecret Shopper$3.9 Million Lost

• If you didn’t apply for a job, you didn’t get hired for one

• Any job that asks you to forward money or pay an admin fee is not a job, it’s a scam

• Research legitimate companies that offer this kind of employment

5

Websites, like Craigslist,

make it easy to buy and

sell goods privately. They

are also fertile ground for

scammers. A buyer shows

interest in what you’re

selling and offers extra

to cover shipping costs.

You’re asked to send back

the difference, and the

scammer hopes you don’t

notice the cheque they sent

was fake until it’s too late.

8PRIVATE SALE SCAMOverpaymentRefund $5.3 Million Lost

• If someone offers you more than what you are asking, walk away

• Never wire money to someone you don’t know

• If possible, sell in person to someone local

BBB has a new tool in the fi ght against scammers.

We launched Scam Tracker in late 2015, a new

microsite found at www.bbb.org/scamtracker. Scam

Tracker is a portal where people can report scams

and learn about fraud in their part of the country.

Since it was launched, nearly 15,000 scams have been

reported and published. Scam Tracker helps BBB learn

about trends and locations of scams to help us better

protect and educate you and your loved ones.

SCAM TRACKER

Many still fall for the

relative in trouble trap. You

receive a call from a relative,

who knows you by name,

claiming they are stuck

somewhere (possibly jail)

and need help because they

have no access to money.

Much of the information

they ply you with can be

found on social media.

EMERGENCY SCAMFake Relative Needs Cash $1.9 Million Lost

• Understand that social media is a wealth of information for scammers

• Check with family members for legitimacy of call

• Don’t send money if you are unsure or if you don’t know the person

9

10

BBB gets plenty of calls

about this and each and

every time we have to

remind people that asking

for a fee upfront to secure

a loan is illegal in Canada.

Often victims pay the

fee and the loan never

materializes.

LENDING SCAMAdvance Fee Loans $1 Million Lost

• It is illegal to charge an upfront fee for a loan in Canada and the US

• If a company demands money to ‘secure’ a loan, walk away

• Look for reputable lending organizations and research BBB Business Reviews

Another way to get scammed is through counterfeit

cash fl oating around in the marketplace. This hurts

businesses and consumers. Canada’s new polymer

bank notes have leading edge security features that

make it harder to do, but it still happens. The security

features are easy to check if we take the time to do

so. The Bank of Canada has free materials and a

training program that can help protect yourself and

the marketplace.

For more information, visit bankofcanada.ca/banknotes

and select “Materials” or email info@bankofcanada.ca.

ALL ABOUT COUNTERFEIT CASH

PASSWORD DAY!#bbbpassworddayMarch 15th

One of the ways crooks access your online accounts

is by stealing your passwords. Prevention is key. March

15 is now known as Better Business Bureau’s Password

Day! Password Day is a friendly reminder for Canadians

about the importance of changing your passwords.

To stop thieves from getting your personal information

or money, change your passwords regularly. Creating

strong passwords should also be part of your game plan.

Tips:

• Use at least 12 characters

• Use upper and lower case letters,

numbers and symbols

• Avoid words found in the dictionary

• Avoid using family names

For their contributions to

the fi nancial education

of consumers and

businesses.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

www.competitionbureau.gc.ca

www.bankofcanada.ca www.cdpcl.com

www.option-consommateurs.org

www.globalpaymentsinc.comwww.bbb.org

2016_BBBScamsBrochure_fnl.indd 5-8 2016-03-01 11:58 AM