RCMP across the region and the province are continuing to caution residents about online security during the festive season.
With holiday and New Year sales events populating websites, RCMP are cautioning the public about passing credit card and banking details to online sources.
Last year, Alberta RCMP responded to 5,653 reports of money, property or security fraud under $5,000 — almost a quarter of those reports came in November and December. Over the same time period — the two months at the end of the year — more than 350 files were investigated where the each fraud complaint involved more than $5,000.
The Alberta RCMP reminds all online shoppers to protect their personal and financial information making online purchases.
TIPS to protect yourself while shopping online:
- Don’t reuse passwords; change them often, and be sure to use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters to create a strong one!
- Many websites, especially social media platforms, offer the option of multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication makes it more difficult for criminals to access your accounts by needing more than one piece of identifying information.
- Review privacy settings regularly in order to control who can see what personal information is posted to your profile.
- Don’t purchase anything using public Wi-Fi; shop using your own data connection or a trusted network.
- Buy from reputable sources and don’t let unbeatable prices cloud your judgement. Research retailers before purchasing.
- Install updates on your devices as soon as you’re prompted. Updates fix security issues.
- Phishing is a commonly used tactic for cyber-crime. Phishing messages ask you to validate information by clicking links and may threaten you with legal action. Verify legitimacy by calling the company directly.
The RCMP’s own social media site, Twitter @RCMPAlberta and Facebook @RCMPinAlberta have more details about cyber security precautions.
RCMP encourage the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity to police. Reports tell police where to look, who to look for, and where to patrol in the future. If you see a crime in progress, dial 911. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
