One click on Facebook and my credit card was billed $90 every two weeks for a subscription I hadn’t knowingly signed up for. Cancelling the card meant days of updating nearly 20 connected accounts.
But it didn’t stop there. A month later my new card was frozen after being flagged for fraud – while I was in Europe without a phone plan. Contacting a Canadian bank suddenly became an international challenge.
It turns out I’m not alone.
Fraud is theft
“Fraud is theft,” says Toronto Police Crime Prevention Officer George Polychronis. “They’re stealing your money – by tricking you.”
Instead of reaching into your wallet, scammers persuade you to hand over money or information yourself. For many victims – myself included – that leads to embarrassment. How could I fall for that?
That reaction helps explain why only a fraction of frauds are reported. Even when they are, tracking perpetrators can be extremely difficult.
Fraudsters target every demographic. “Police officers, lawyers, companies – everybody is a victim.”
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