Fraud Alert
Post Your Fraud Alert Here
“Just ask a lot of questions and get all of the information. Take notes,” said Pat Heffernan, chief executive officer of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Saskatchewan. “Just don’t ever commit with a returned e-mail or a promise over the phone. Nothing is that urgent.”
March is Fraud Prevention Month, and groups like the BBB are encouraging consumers to be alert about the potential for scams and fraud.
“It’s about consumer education and, even more so, business education,” said Heffernan. “Businesses remain a primary target … (because) they are extremely busy and they don’t pay the detailed attention to things like accounts payable.”
According to Heffernan, some businesses get ripped off with fraudulent invoices charging them for a service or product that was never delivered. Once the business signs off on the invoice and pays the fee, they can’t recover the funds.
The same is the case for individuals who are taken by fraudsters, according to Const. Landon Giraudier with the Moose Jaw Police Service.
The important thing, according to Giraudier, was to follow the ALERT protocol: Ask questions, Listen carefully, Educate yourself, Refuse to be pressured and Tell the authorities what’s going on.
“Just don’t be pressured, because a lot of the time they use pressure tactics,” said Giraudier. “If a deal is going to be there now, it will be there for the next day or two or however long for you to be able to make an informed decision.”