Don鈥檛 be a sucker. Few people are caught up in bank robberies, but sooner or later, almost everyone with a computer or a telephone is targeted by fraud artists. It would be wise to act on the assumption that someone is always trying to get your money.
Chief Frank Elsner says the Victoria Police Department is investigating dozens of scams that have cost victims a total of $150,000 so far in 2015. That鈥檚 about three times the amount taken by bank robbers in VicPD鈥檚 jurisdiction.
When police receive a call that a bank has been robbed, they rush to the scene. They investigate; they dig around for information; they publish pictures of suspects. They usually catch the perpetrators.
But bank robbery seems to be falling out of fashion. It鈥檚 a lot less risky and far more lucrative for a crook to sit in his or her basement while using a computer or a telephone to separate people from their money.
When someone is robbed through a computer or telephone scam, the police take down the details and do what they can, but it鈥檚 not much. That鈥檚 not the fault of the police 鈥� it鈥檚 the nature of the crime.
The criminals are usually in another country. No images are captured on surveillance cameras; no witnesses can provide descriptions; no fingerprints are left at the scene.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a sucker born every minute鈥� has been the mantra of con artists and hucksters for more than a century. When that phrase was coined, people were subjected to schemes and cons that wouldn鈥檛 fool most people today, but fraud has become so much more sophisticated, it鈥檚 difficult not to be taken in.
Today鈥檚 crooks are convincing. They are slick. They have taken counterfeiting and deceit to a whole new level.
Some might complain that the police should do more, and perhaps they should, but they will need much bigger budgets, more training, more resources and more staff. And as soon as a new safeguard is in place, some tech-savvy crook will find a way around it.
So what to do? There鈥檚 an old saying in journalism: 鈥淚f your mother says she loves you, check it out,鈥� a caution to verify everything and not take anything at face value.
Check it out. If it鈥檚 anything to do with finances or your personal information, don鈥檛 trust anyone who contacts you by phone or online, if you aren鈥檛 100 per cent sure you know who the person is. Even then, a good friend or loving family member should not be offended if you say you will call them back, just to be sure.
There are so many ways to be defrauded, it would be hard to list them all. Suffice it to say, if someone calls you on the phone (or contacts you online) asking for money, the chances are good it鈥檚 a fraud, even if that person sounds like a distressed grandchild, a bank inspector, a tax official or a charity seeking donations.
Be alert for anyone offering services you didn鈥檛 order. A common scam is a call in which you are told your computer has problems that need fixing. The caller claims to be able to help by gaining access to your computer.
Hang up. Trust no one. Check everyone out. Take a breath and think it through.
Be wary of anyone trying to get your personal data. Your social insurance number, for example, can be used to create a false identity.
Seniors are particularly vulnerable to these scams 鈥� keep your elderly relatives and friends aware of these schemes.
Police should be given more resources to catch the fraudsters, but the best way to beat the crooks is by making sure they come up empty-handed. When they can鈥檛 catch any suckers, they will move on to different waters.
