RCMP providing tips to avoid wildfire relief scams

The RCMP is providing some tips to prevent wildfire relief scams.

During any disaster, there may be individuals who attempt to take advantage of the situation. Keep yourself safe from fraud and scams, and make sure your donations make it to those in need.

RCMP recommends:

Ensuring you are donating to a trustworthy charity or organization. One way to do this is to check that the charity is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Always make sure that you are following official sources for updates about what support is being offered, and be cautious when dealing with people online or over the phone.
Being cautious of unsolicited calls where you are asked for personal information.
If you didn’t initiate the call, and you don’t know who you’re talking to, do not give out any personal information.
If a caller claiming to be from a government agency or business is seeking your personal information, get their information, hang up and call the agency or business back using an official phone number to confirm the request.
Never give account numbers, passwords, or other personal information to unsolicited callers.
Be careful if you are being pressured to provide information immediately.
If a caller tells you to pay an upfront fee to receive a gift, charitable donation, or prize, do not pay the fee. If you won it, it’s free. In Canada, there are no prize fees or taxes.
If something sounds too good to be true, it often is. Do your homework and check to make sure what you are being offered is not a scam.
To report a scam or find out if you’re being scammed, you can reach out to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or police.

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RCMP providing tips to avoid wildfire relief scams

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