At Kindred, we care about your privacy and security. Information can be your best defense against potential scams. It’s an unfortunate fact that there are some bad actors out there who will seek to gain access to your personal information or steal your money. They often use fraud and trickery in order to either earn your trust or to gain access to your accounts without your knowledge.

The best thing you can do to increase your privacy and security is to stay alert and up-to-date on the latest scams. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you learn about the most common cons, how to detect a fraud, and what you should do if you have been targeted.

Protect yourself from scams

Understanding Identity Theft

Identity theft is a serious crime that happens more than you might think. It’s important to protect yourself and your personal information from ID Theft. If your identity has been stolen, the fraudster can potentially open accounts or apply for credit in your name. They often use online channels but will even be bold enough to impersonate you with a Kindred staff member. Fraudsters are also able to steal other victim’s money or personal information by posing as a trusted source – you – with your stolen information!

Phishing scams – Don’t take the bait

Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending electronic messages (email, text, and social media) claiming to be a reputable business or someone you know in order to trick you into clicking on a malicious link or giving them personal information.

Vishing scams are the new phishing

While you might be familiar with phishing scams, do you know what vishing scams are? Vishing scams call your phone, pretending to be the CRA, Carbon Tax Company, your mobile phone provider, or other “official” sounding individuals. Your may be natural inclined to be cooperative and forthcoming with these organizations, but you should also be on the lookout for potential scammers.

Overpayment scams can be costly

Overpayment scams usually start when you sell an item and receive a cheque that is for a higher amount than the initially agreed upon sale price. Why would they overpay you? It’s not a bonus; it's a red flag that something isn’t right.

Understanding the Gift Card Scam

Scammers are always trying to come up with new and creative ways to steal your hard-earned money! One of the more common methods these days is to talk well-meaning folks into purchasing gift cards and then reading them the numbers over the phone, or texting them a photograph. Learn more about how this scam fools people.

Look out for the Grandparent Scam

One of the fastest-growing scams these days is what is known as the grandparent scam. In a typical grandparent scam, a fraudster contacts a Senior posing as a grandchild of theirs who is in some sort of trouble. This creates a strong desire to help a supposed loved one in crisis and a sense of urgency to act quickly.

Protecting Your Information from Scammers

The best technique for outsmarting fraudsters is to make sure that they can never gain access to your personal information. If you do anything online, chances are you use passwords and PINs (personal identification numbers) to access your accounts with your favourite businesses. By creating strong passwords and PINs, you will make life a lot more difficult for any scam artists who are trying to steal your personal information. Don't let them hack into your accounts!

Fraud Prevention

The information you need to protect yourself from fraud and scams