Keep Your Personal Information Personal

March is Fraud Prevention Month and Police are once again reminding the public to be vigilant about keeping your personal information private and never handing money over to anyone you are not 100 percent sure are they are who they say they are. The Romance Scam is one that police say not only causes severe financial hardships but also personal embarrassment. Police remind you to ask yourself, would some one really declare their love after only a few emails? If the answer is No, don’t send money and report it to police. In 2015, the Romance Scam generated 298 complaints and claimed 216 victims in Ontario who lost $7.9 million.  Never send money, or give personal credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust. A request to send money to a foreign country to someone you have never personally met should be a red flag. Check website addresses carefully. Scammers often set up fake websites with addresses that are very similar to legitimate dating websites. Police say 95 percent of the these crimes go unreported. If you or someone you know suspect they’ve been a victim of the Romance Scam, contact your local police service. You can also file a complaint through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or online at https://www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm