SCAMS ALERT: Six Tips to Protect Scams & Fraud : The Szpinner

Which generation is more likely to fall for online scams? The answer may surprise you. Despite being immersed in digital technology since birth, younger generations—often called “digital natives”—are statistically more likely to fall victim to online fraud’ This phenomenon is sometimes called the paradox of the digital natives: early exposure to technology doesn’t necessarily mean stronger digital literacy.

Given our increasing reliance on digital devices and the growing sophistication of scams, the start of the year may be an ideal time to revisit digital safety basics—whether with younger family members or older adults who may be more vulnerable and in need of support.

Here are five universal tips to help protect against fraud:

Pause before you (re)act. Scammers often rely on urgency or pressure, though sophisticated scams often involve building trust over time. Slowing down can protect you from making mistakes.

Be skeptical of messages that pressure you to act immediately—especially those involving money or personal information.
“Take Five, Tell Two:” If you’re unsure, pause for five minutes and speak to two trusted people.

Let technology work for you. Leverage built-in tools and settings to screen out threats. Given our significant daily use of smartphones, here are a handful of ideas relating to mobile phones:

Let unknown calls go to Legitimate callers will leave a message or will call back if needed.
Silence calls from unknown numbers to avoid answering by For the iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Phone. Scroll down to “Calls.” Tap “Silence Unknown Callers.”
Use your carrier’s screening I.e., Rogers offers “Call Control,” which requires callers to enter a randomly generated number before the call connects. This helps block automated robocalls.
Set up a filter on phones to sort unknown texts into a separate folder to avoid accidental replies and reduce
Never reply to unknown calls or messages—doing so confirms your number is active.

Limit what you share. The less information you put out there, the harder it is for scammers to target you.

Never share personal or financial information unless you’re certain of the recipient’s identity and the communication channel is secure.
Reduce your digital footprint. Delete unused online accounts to reduce access in case of a data breach.
Avoid posting personal details on social media like birthdays, addresses, travel plans or even family member names.
Always set online privacy settings to the highest
Be cautious with online forms or surveys—verify the source first.

Use good payment practices. Be thoughtful about how and where you send money.

Use payment methods with fraud protection, such as PayPal, when sending funds to unfamiliar Avoid wire transfers, gift cards or Interac e-transfers for unfamiliar transactions.
Use separate email addresses or usernames for less-secure transactions to protect your identity online.
Add a layer of personal Proactive steps can make it harder to impersonate you or your loved ones.
Create a family code word to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a loved one in If a caller can’t provide the code word, hang up.
Consider using a dedicated email address exclusively for financial and banking transactions.
For added privacy, some use “alternate” (burner) birthdates or slight name variations when registering for non-essential services to conceal private data and limit exposure of personal

Stay informed. Fraud is increasingly sophisticated, and tactics evolve rapidly. Stay informed to protect against evolving scams.

Follow trusted resources that publish new scams, such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.cai or Better Business Bureau at https://www.bbb. org/all/spot-a-scom
If you suspect a scam, report it—you could help protect https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm

Stay informed. Fraud is increasingly sophisticated, and tactics evolve rapidly. Stay informed to protect against evolvin
Spell/Grammar check. Sometimes scammers are careless with their text. You will see obvious spelling mistakes or grammar error. Scammers are not necessarily well educated or if they are, they did not do well with spelling and grammar. Take a look at this example: