ELECTRONIC RECYCLING ASSOCIATION: FRAUD PREVENTION MONTH

ELECTRONIC RECYCLING ASSOCIATION – FRAUD PREVENTION MONTH 2016 LAUNCH

Today, March 1 2016, marks the beginning of the Fraud Prevention Month! What does that mean for you? Basically, from now until the end of the month law enforcement agencies across the country will work with various community partners (such as ERA) to raise awareness about current scams and how to avoid falling victim to them.

Since computers are the most common place to store personal information, ERA is looking forward to helping law enforcement groups reduce scams like identity theft by offering complimentary and secure destruction of hard drives. If you have older devices sitting around, you could be at risk. Ensure the information stored on those devices never ends up in the wrong hands by having them securely processed by ERA. We will be at events throughout the month of March offering destruction services and information about how to protect digital data. We will also be offering discounts on regular destruction services until the end of the month – contact us today to book your pickup or for more information.

We were invited to attend the Calgary Police Service’s Fraud Prevention Month launch this morning, which was also attended by Calgary’s mayor, Naheed Nenshi, who addressed the importance of awareness and protection against fraud.

Fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes across Canada. The Calgary Police Service estimates Calgarians lost as much as $75-million in 2015.

To combat this growing trend, police and government agencies, community groups, businesses and members of the financial industry across Alberta have joined the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association to raise awareness and inform members of the public about the most common frauds.

In support of this effort, Mayor Naheed Nenshi has proclaimed March 2016 as Fraud Prevention Month.

“The best way to prevent fraud is to stop it before it starts. When we are able recognize fraud, we are better equipped to protect ourselves from being victimized,” says Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

In 2015, the CPS received reports from at least 4,972 victims who have lost money over the last year.

“The most important job that Service Alberta has is protecting consumers. Fraud Prevention Month is an opportunity to arm Albertans with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions,” says Danielle Larivee, Acting Minister, Service Alberta.

Fraud Prevention Month in Alberta will highlight the following topics:

• Week 1 – Financial Frauds. Examples include counterfeit money, mortgage scams, e-transfer scams, fraudulent credit cards and investment or Ponzi schemes.
• Week 2 – Mass Marketing. Examples include telemarketing scams such as the Canada Revenue Agency or Immigration Canada scams and travel scams.
• Week 3 – Cyber Fraud. Examples include phishing, romance scams, account takeover, Microsoft tech scams and online identity theft.
• Week 4 – Service Scams. Examples include pre-paid contractor scams, debt reconciliation frauds and door to door salesman scams.
• Week 5 – Importance of Reporting

Fraud Prevention Month partners will be at Cross Iron Mills mall on Saturday, March 12, 2016, to answer any fraud-related questions. Interactive displays, such as the BBB’s scam tracker, and the Electronic Recycling Association truck, will also be available. More information about this event will follow.

ERA will also be co-hosting a Fraud Prevention Month complimentary hard drive shredding event with the Medicine Hat Police Department on Saturday, March 19 2016 at REDI Recycling – 1040 South Railway Street SE from 10am to 3pm.

Drop by and visit us at these events to securely recycle your unwanted electronic devices and drop your hard drive into our secure hard drive shredder!