Peterborough Police Services Launch Postcard Campaign To Spread Fraud Prevention
/Peterborough Police Service have launched a postcard campaign called "You Are Their Next Target" aimed at getting crucial fraud prevention messaging directly into people’s homes.
“Our Service has done a lot of messaging and education around the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam yet we are still being inundated with calls from citizens reporting this fraud,” says Detective Constable Keith Calderwood, Peterborough Police Service Fraud Unit. “The scammers involved are extremely aggressive and convincing. There are people today who are losing $4,000 or $5,000 as a result of this fraud.”
One of three postcards available
The Peterborough Police Service’s Alternative Response Unit receives between 15 and 40 calls a day from people reporting the CRA scam. The fraud involves a person receiving a message either by telephone, mail or text message from someone pretending to be from the Canada Revenue Agency requesting personal information and using scare tactics to get people to pay a fictitious debt.
From January to August 2016, approximately 32 people in our area fell victim to the CRA fraud and lost anywhere between $1,500 to $5,600. “Our main message is simple: Don’t make assumptions about who falls for frauds and scams," says Detective Constable Calderwood.
One of three postcards available
“Through this postcard campaign, the message will be delivered directly into people’s homes and into their hands," adds Detective Constable Calderwood. "We want people to know it’s okay to hang up if they receive a scam call. Don’t panic. Don’t react. Don’t send money. Don’t fall for it.”
Through generous funding provided by the Peterborough Northumberland Crime Stoppers and funding from the New Horizons for Seniors, 21,000 postcards have been printed and will be distributed throughout the area served by the Peterborough Police Service: The City of Peterborough, the Village of Lakefield and the Township of Cavan Monaghan.
One of three postcards available
Participating locations include local banks, pharmacies, grocery stores, coffee shops, senior centres, township offices and service clubs.
Mac’s Convenience Stores is supporting the campaign and select Mac’s stores throughout Peterborough will carry the postcards. Mac’s Convenience stores have made it a corporate priority to educate their employees about the fraud in order that they can in turn warn and educate their customers.
The back of the postcard
