Spot the Scam: Every day, people across Ottawa and Canada are falling victim to scams. This past week CTVNewsOttawa.ca shared their stories and advice on how to spot a scam. While it flies against what many would consider a key component of being Canadian, one expert says people should limit their trust to avoid getting scammed. “If you don’t know who’s calling, or messaging, or emailing you, don’t answer it. Don’t respond to it. Don’t engage,” technology analyst and journalist Carmi Levy told CTV News at Six. “It sounds very un-Canadian to not answer a message received, but if you engage with them, you prove that you’re alive. You invite future messages like this.” Levy spoke with CTV’s Patricia Boal on Friday to share some tips for avoiding scams. Stay untrusting To start, Levy recommends staying skeptical, especially when being contacted out of the blue. “Do not trust someone until they prove otherwise,” Levy said. “You want to make sure that callers prove who they are.” Just because an individual claims to be from a bank, an insurance company or any other institution, it doesn’t mean they are, Levy says. “Ask them questions that only a legitimate individual would know and then force them to prove who they are to get inside your circle of trust.” Share less on social media According to Levy, most people overshare on social media, making them more susceptible to scams. “We’re sharing way too much, we’re posting too many personal pieces of information that we don’t even realize,” Levy said. “Where we live, where we grew up, who our favorite teacher was, all of these of course are challenge questions for things like passwords.” Scammers can use your personal information to make themselves look like the real deal, Levy says. “It makes them look more legitimate, more likely to fool us into believing that they are in fact legitimate.” Levy recommends sharing fewer personal details, limiting who can view your accounts and reviewing your networks often. “Go through your network of accounts that look a bit iffy, that will significantly reduce the amount of information that will be taken from your social media feed.” Levy also recommends avoiding online surveys that can be used to scrape your information. Create a code word Levy recommends creating a code word with those closest to you to help clear up any confusion over the phone. “We’ve all heard of grandparent scams –– you get a call, it sounds like your kid or grandkid, they’ve been arrested, they’ve been injured, they had an accident, whatever it is, they need money,” Levy said. “Of course, it sounds like them, but it isn’t.” Scammers will use “voice cloning” software to impersonate people, and Levy suggests creating a code word with loved ones so you can positively identify one another over the phone. “Pre-arrange with everyone in your family, have a code word. That way, you can ask on that call if they know the code word,” Levy said. “If they’re not using it, that is a clear tell this is not a legitimate call, you can hang up right now. Chances are that your family member is OK.”
