Don't auto-save your passwords and more tips from a fraud prevention expert

If your computer kindly asks 'do you want to save this password?,' Sgt. Rob Hardy says, just say no.

That's one of his tips for making sure you don't fall victim to an online scam.

Sgt. Hardy spoke with the CBC's Conrad Collaco as part of our CBC Asks series about how you can protect yourself against online fraud. You can watch the full interview by clicking the play button above or read an edited and abridged version below.

Want to avoid being a victim of fraud? Sgt. Rob Hardy has some advice

Last year, according to the Canadian anti-fraud centre, people in this country lost more than $98 Million to fraud. That's just what's being reported. It's estimated that only 5 per cent of cases nationally are brought to the authorities. Why are victims of fraud so reluctant to tell police?

Part of the problem with fraud is there's a certain stigma to victims. There's a sense out there that how could you be so stupid to fall for that? How could you let that happen to you? So, that makes people reluctant. Sometimes the dollar value is such that it's not worth their effort to report to us. It's also how their peers will react to them, how their family will react to them. I always tell people you have to remember that fraud, by definition, is theft by deceit. So, these people just didn't willingly give this money up and you know it's not that they're unable to understand. It's just that they've been deceived.

What types of fraud do you see happening the most?

Do some of the scammers pose as police officers?

There's a trend now called call-spoofing where a number will show up on your phone and it will look like it's the number from the police service. What I would recommend is — even if you want to come into the station, your local station, and ask 'Is this legitimate?' Nobody is going to question you and say 'why are you doing this?' 

How much easier is it now, because of the internet, digital banking, social media to be victimized by fraud?

I was at a conference yesterday and the commissioner of the OPP said 'We're never gonna be able to eradicate fraud with the technology and stuff that's occurring now. The best way to do it is prevention.' This is fraud prevention month. You have to be vigilant with what you're doing on social media. Don't give out your phone number. Check your safety features on your social media accounts. You have to always check your banking. You have to be diligent checking it weekly, daily to make sure there's no unusual transactions and then to notify your bank if there are unusual transactions. 

This question comes in by email from Xiao Li who says 'I have an active case with the Hamilton police major fraud unit' and goes on to say it's been a year and a half with no resolution or leads from my experience, Xiao writes, there's not much police can do. That makes me wonder how difficult is it for police to bring scammers to justice if they're outside of Canada or have little information to identify the suspects?

But, you never say never. We had one investigation here last year where we thought we saw the money going overseas. We didn't think we'd be able to do anything about it. Through Det. John Murphy's perseverance he was able to make connections to an RCMP investigation, a U.S. Postal Service investigation. Some foreign national citizens in other countries and in the United States were arrested and our victim here in Hamilton, I believe, their information was brought in those charges down there. So, it is difficult but we say 'never say never.' We'd rather you report it to us and give us an opportunity than to not report it at all.

What can we do to protect ourselves?

They send a message saying you forgot the password and then they have that authentication where it goes to your cell phone with a code. They punch that code and now have access to all your apps and all your banking. You can go and tell your carrier that you can only change your sim card in person and or you can set up a password. Make sure you protect your information right. Information is what fraudsters want. They want your personal information and you just need to protect that. So, I always tell people don't give out your phone number, your cell number right and lock down your social media settings. And check your bank statements on a regular basis.

Is there any one demographic that's affected more than others?

There isn't. I was looking up studies on victimology of fraud victims and there haven't been a lot of studies on it. But just from the stats there is no demographic. It can affect anybody. I believe that's what the Canada Fraud Centre says. There's no demographic that is higher at risk than another. From my time in the office I've seen teenagers right through to seniors. I've seen all income levels, all backgrounds. There's there's no discrimination when it comes to being a fraud victim.

What is Hamilton's major fraud unit doing to prevent fraud?

Follow common sense. We use the term in the fraud office of 'stop, look and listen.' Fraudsters like to pressure you. Stop for a moment. Just take a breath. Take a drink. Just take a moment. Look at the situation. Does this seem realistic? Is it really realistic that a bank will use you as an agent in an investigation? No. Listen to your co-workers. Listen to your family. Listen to the people at the bank. Listen to friends that say to you this is a scam. Don't fall for this scam. So, stop, look and listen. And that probably will help you avoid being a victim of fraud.