Scammers will try to ‘capitalize’ on disasters like wildfires. What to look for

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is warning Canadians to stay vigilant as scammers will try to “capitalize” on disasters like the wildfires currently burning out west.

The blazes in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories have displaced thousands, prompting questions from residents about funding for evacuation costs as well as public appeals for support.

Currently, Northwest Territories officials are using roadblocks to turn back Yellowknife residents who are attempting to return home, despite the city still being under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, firefighters in British Columbia‘s southern Interior continue to battle several major blazes, having been aided by ample rainfall that fell Wednesday over the Okanagan and Shuswap regions.

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BC Wildfire Service information officer Forrest Tower said the rain led to a widespread diminishing of fire activity.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) told Global News that while it hasn’t received any reports of scams related to the current wildfires, it did receive two complaints in July of fraudsters claiming to be the Red Cross offering a wildfire relief fund.

“Unfortunately, fraudsters will try to capitalize on unfortunate situations like the one we are currently seeing out west,” they said.

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The issue of disaster relief scams was also raised by Florida’s attorney general earlier this month as wildfires torched the Hawaii island of Maui.

On Aug. 17, Ashley Moody issued an alert warning Floridians who wish to give funds to those affected by the Maui wildfires of the potential for charity scams.

“Residents in the affected areas have endured tragic losses and Floridians may wish to donate to help the recovery. However, scammers may try to exploit the tragedy to take advantage of generous donors. Be cautious of bad actors when making donations to help the victims of this tragedy,” she said.

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The CAFC told Global News that scams linked to extreme weather are either phishing scams claiming to offer financial assistance by clicking on a link, or charity scams by phone, text, social media or email.

Charity scams are when a fraudster contacts you to ask for a donation to a charity, association, federation or religious cause and uses high-pressure tactics to get you to donate immediately, the spokesperson said.

The charity may not exist, or the scammer may not actually be associated with it.

First, to avoid falling victim to charity scams, the CAFC advises Canadians to ask for information in writing before making a donation. They can also check to see if the charity is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency.

The CAFC also advises Canadians to be on the lookout for false and deceptive crowdfunding advertisements.

“We always recommend donating locally,” the spokesperson said.

“If you would like to donate to a disaster relief campaign, we recommend you visit your local Red Cross.”

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When it comes to phishing scams, the CAFC advises Canadians to be aware of unsolicited text messages and emails from individuals or organizations asking you to click on a link or open an attachment. Do not click on them as they can contain viruses.

In those messages, be wary of spelling mistakes. The government of Canada will never send funds by email or text, the CAFC said. Contact the agency or company directly by telephone after finding their official contact information.

In 2022, the CAFC received 133 reports of charity scams, with 40 people listed as victims; $41,457 were lost. When it comes to phishing, the CAFC logged 10,760 reports with 2,617 victims. The CAFC does not track money loss associated with phishing, the spokesperson said.

— with files from The Canadian Press