Here’s what to do if you get scammed, police tell Mississauga and Brampton residents

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Published May 9, 2023 at 3:14 pm

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Victims of scams need to take immediate action to protect themselves, Peel police tell Mississauga and Brampton residents.

Peel Regional Police often offer tips on how to avoid being victimized by fraudsters in the first place, but they’re also getting the message out to the public that even if you do fall prey to a scam, there might still be time to take action and minimize or prevent any financial loss.

“Take immediate action if you’ve been scammed,” Peel cops said via Twitter today (May 9).

Their post was a retweet of a message from Consumer Protection Ontario (see below) that lists a series of steps to take immediately in order to “reduce your risk and protect yourself.”

The steps include:

  • stopping all communication with the scammer
  • reporting the scam to police and/or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
  • notifying financial institutions and securing your accounts
  • putting an alert on your credit report

While police are constantly fighting scammers and alerting residents to the latest frauds year-round, they stepped up their efforts in March, which was Canadian Fraud Prevention Month.

Peel police warned residents of many scams throughout the month, including an income tax scam that seeks to steal people’s money and sensitive personal information.

Among other scams police have alerted people to in recent weeks are those focused on cryptocurrency, Ponzi schemes and pyramid scams that try to lure people into illegal investment webs that promise quick return on financial investment.

Another warning alerted the public to a fraud that seeks to trick people out of their money by telling would-be victims over the phone that a loved one is in jail or that they’re being targeted for not paying taxes.

Such “emergency scams” are among a number of popular frauds targeting people these days in Mississauga, Brampton and across Ontario, and Canada, police warn.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians lost more than $530 million to fraud in 2022 and much of that could have been prevented if victims were more informed of the tactics used by scammers.

For more information on the various frauds/scams, visit Peel Regional Police or Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre websites.

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