Oak Bay police offered tips to avoid fraud after a parcel scam targeted a resident on June 17.
A resident received an email advising a parcel wasn’t delivered to their residence as they were not home at the time, the department said in a news release.
The individual clicked a link in the email and provided credit card information before realizing it was a scam. They quickly cancelled the cards, avoiding loss, and reported the scam to police on June 17.
Police reminded residents to verify the legitimacy of any seller before making any purchases online and to only buy from known legitimate companies.
Other reminders included never providing personal information such as financial, passport or social insurance number, and when in doubt consult a trusted individual; never allowing anyone to access your computer through a screen-sharing application; and accredited businesses and government agencies do not seek payment by gift card or bitcoin.
Anyone who thinks they’ve been a victim of fraud should report it to local police and to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre. As of May 31, that agency said there were 37,284 reports of fraud this year by 23,653 victims, costing $207 million.
Car door broken
Also among Oak Bay’s 76 calls for police during the week, officers received a report of a theft from a vehicle in the 1000-block of Foul Bay Road on June 13. The thief pried the lock off the driver’s door and stole personal items and identification.
Break, no entry
A door…
