Luck may have run out for a suspected fraudster in Port Moody.
Port Moody police (PMPD) executing a search warrant last Friday, Oct. 13, at a home in the city seized hundreds of pieces of identification, stolen mail and license plates, as well as devices to make fraudulent ID.
A suspect was arrested, but it wasn't his first encounter with police.
In August, the man in his 30s was arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle that had been located by a Port Moody police officer and he was subsequently linked to a report a month earlier of mail theft that occurred in Suter Brook Village.
Investigators are recommending several fraud-related charges to Crown Counsel.
"Fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated and we highly encourage the public to take extra care of their personal information," said PMPD spokesperson Const. Sam Zacharias in a news release.
"Incidents like these highlight the importance of reporting fraud to police."
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, in the first six months of this year, 21,299 victims of fraud across the country have lost more than $283 million.
Some of the most common types of fraud are phone call, email and text scams claiming to be from government agencies like Service Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Border Services and Immigrations, Refugees, Citizenship Canada. Many of them will make suspicious requests for payment by prepaid gift cards, bitcoin or e-transfer.
Some of the ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud include:
- choose strong passwords and PINS for your online accounts and change them regularly
- don’t use your social insurance number as identification or provide it for job or rental applications
- review bank account and credit card statements regularly to ensure there’s been no unauthorized transactions
- beware of upfront fees
- don’t be afraid to say no and request any information in writing
- verify any contact from Canadian charities, collection agencies, credit card companies or any relative claiming to be in trouble
For more tips, you can visit the Canada Revenue Agency's website.
