The Victorian Order of Nurses held a fraud-awareness seminar Wednesday, hoping to inform its workers and caregivers about the frauds and scams targeting Peterborough-area residents.
Lisa Corkery, caring service manager with Peterborough’s VON branch, said the organization has received several complaints about the issue, from clients who are concerned and in some cases, scared.
“It just comes at them fast and furious, when they get these phone calls, or when people knock on their doors and want to check things in the house, they feel very vulnerable,” said Corkery.
Corkery pointed out that many of VON’s clients are on fixed incomes. Losing even small amounts of money, she said, can have a devastating impact on the bottom line.
“It’s a deal breaker,” she says. “And it doesn’t even have to be two or three thousand dollars, it can be $250.”
VON teamed up with Peterborough police fraud detective Keith Calderwood for Wednesday’s seminar, attended by a mix of VON employees and caregivers.
Calderwood said perpetrators posing as Canada Revenue Agency employees or police officers count on the fact that some targets will accept what they’re being told without question. The officer said it’s a tactic using fear, intimidation and a natural inclination to defer to authority and stay out of trouble.
“How most of these scams work is they’re very high pressure,” he said. “You have to do it now, and you’re not allowed to take time to think about it.”
Peterborough police have developed a motto to address that issue, he said.
“We call it stop, pause and think,” Calderwood said.
If you’re told you owe the government money or a grandchild is in jail and needs bailing out it’s important, Calderwood said, to take a breath, and start asking yourself questions.
“We just want you to slow down, think, ‘Is this possible?'” Calderwood said.
If it’s not, hang up the phone, he said, and if you’re not sure, ask for a callback number and give yourself time to verify the facts before giving away personal information or sending money.