Scammers are doing their best to create new ways to get your money using some aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The newest one involves student loans.

Governments are announcing programs to help individuals with their student loans.  In response, there are offers appearing to come from companies offering to consolidate loans at a very low interest rate.  They may suggest that in some cases they may even be able to forgive the loan with money coming from the government.

They are offering to speak to your lender on your behalf if you simply complete a form.  They tell you they want to represent you and thousands of other students in negotiating with lenders.  What they want is the personal information you’re going to provide on that form.  If you need help with loans, contact your lender or your college or university.  The other source will be government representatives who can access information about available programs

Don’t be too quick to participate in such offers and never provide information when they come to you.  Apply directly to legitimate organizations.  And please tell everyone you know that criminals  are using these tactics.

Please copy and paste this onto your browser search line: lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.ca  for more information on how you can protect yourself and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

It seems appropriate to write another post on COVID-19 scams, since they continue to evolve.  So here’s a list, along with one simple rule to keep yourself safe.

1. Fraudulent websites, inviting you to click on malicious links so they can steal your information.

2. Links and websites that, if you click, install malicious programs on your computer.

3. E-mail messages of any kind inviting you to click on  a link, attachment or another website; all could be looking for your information and /or your money.

4. E-mails claiming to be from WHO, offering another link to get masks or sanitizers.

5. Fraudulent e-mails or websites made to look like a local church or other religious organization; even mimicking the pastor to solicit contributions or offer gift cards for COVID-19 victims.

Don’t be a victim!  Never provide information, money, or access to money (Bank or credit card information) when they contact you – by mail, in person, phone, text, e-mail, pop-up window or fraudulent website!  Only consider doing so after you verify their legitimacy.  If you’re a victim, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.  1-888-495-8501

Please tell everyone you know that these activities are scams.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect yourself and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

In the last post, we talked about scams involving e-mails, bogus prevention, treatment and cures, as well as fake websites.

Another scam to watch for now is this text message;

            In response to the recent shortage of surgical mask, the Red Cross will be giving one free box     per household.  Visit  http://RedCross-facemask.ca  to get yours.

First, the Red Cross does not have boxes of face masks to give away for free

Second, going to that site, which is fraudulent, will result in you being asked to make a donation (which goes to the scammer) or for you to pay for shipping and handling (of a product you won’t receive.)

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says you should immediately delete such text messages.

One more scam now going around is a phone call claiming to be from a public health agency.  In this call, the fraudster says the person has tested positive for the coronavirus and, to get a prescription, must provide the scammer with their credit card and health card numbers.  Hang up on these calls.  This scam reported by Nicole Brockbank, CBC, Toronto

  Please tell everyone you know that these activities are scams.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect yourself and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

Any major news story will attract the attention of criminals.  In March, 2020, nothing makes more headlines that the COVID-19 pandemic, so now is the time to watch for scammers.  Here are some of the scams already appearing, or you can expect to see.

1.  E-mails.  Usually in the form of phishing e-mails, where scammers impersonate various health agencies, insurers and other legitimate, government agencies.  They want your personal information.

2.  Prevention, treatment and cures.  These will be fraudulent products and services appealing to your sense of urgency to prevent or cure your illness.  They want your information and your money.

3.  Websites.  Here they create a new domain name that makes you think it’s part of a legitimate one.  An example might be walmart-deals.com.  You think it’s a department of Walmart, when in fact it is a fraudulent website.  They also want your personal information and your money.

Never fall for their “urgent” appeal – they want you to make a quick decision; do your homework.  For products, check with the legitimate supplier to see if the product and price are legitimate.  There are many approaches which will encourage you to open on an attachment, click on a link, provide information through a phone call or e-mail, or log into a website.

Legitimate health departments and agencies will not use those approaches and won’t ask for payments or Social Insurance Numbers.  Be careful – don’t be a victim!

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect yourself and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

Many of us spend a considerable amount of time in our vehicles.  That likely contributes to a certain “comfort level’, which may then lead to leaving information, or access to it, in the vehicle.  There are several opportunities there for criminals!

First, the vehicle itself – stolen, then shipped overseas, or stripped down in a “chop shop” somewhere.  Always lock your vehicle and in urban centres, use the button, not your remote lock.  (We’ will look at that situation in another issue in this series of articles.)

Second, the information in your vehicle.  Vehicle Registration and related documents can be used by criminals to identify information specifically about you.  If they steal your vehicle and in it you have documents which identify your home, they now know of a possible “break and enter” opportunity.  If you leave the garage door opener in the vehicle, they now have a convenient way to get inside at least some of your property.

Third, technology, the most common type involved is a laptop.  A significant portion of data breaches, second only to hacking into data files, is the theft of laptop computers, often from vehicles.  Some of those laptops contain vast quantities of personal information.

Fourth, and one of the newest risks, is GPS technology.  Many GPS owners leave the devices in their vehicle at all times – just waiting for a vehicle thief.  The biggest risk is for those who program their home address into the GPS device.  Now the vehicle thieves can be guided directly to the owner’s home.  A thief would feel especially fortunate if a vehicle contained both the GPS device programmed for the owner’s home, plus the garage door opener to let them in upon arrival!

Reduce the risk of losing your own personal information and that of those individuals who have information on your equipment, by not leaving the information or the devices containing that information, in unattended vehicles.  That is particularly important in long-term parking situations.  At an airport for example, a vehicle thief would have your vehicle, equipment and even the knowledge that there is likely no one in your home!

Remove that information and equipment from your vehicles- reduce your risk!

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield. Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

It will be surprising to many, but there are still a significant number of people browsing the internet and even doing some business by using only the “Search Line” on the monitor screen.

In our seminars, we use the Royal Bank as an example and demonstrate the result of keying an actual Royal Bank website address on the Search Line.  We get multiple website options and show that screen shot on a slide.  And that is only the first of many pages of website options, some of which are likely fraudulent, duplicated Royal Bank sites.  We then go back and show what happens when we key the same address on the “Address Line”.  That’s the line at the top of the screen that turns blue when you click on it before keying the desired website .  We show the screen shot of that result – only the real Royal Bank Home Page, with no other alternatives.

We keep mentioning how important it is to be pro-active in securing our personal information whenever we do have control over it.  This is a perfect example of control.  Imagine the damage that could be done if someone clicked on a site they thought was their bank and entered banking information and later finding it was criminals receiving and using that information.  The result may be the same as when clicking on a pop-up window.  We should never click on a pop-up window and then provide personal information of any kind.

Rarely will you find an easier way to take control and protect your personal information than by simple making a habit of verifying, by phone if necessary, the exact website address of your intended target organization.  Then keying that exact address on the “Address Line” at the top of the screen.  This is another situation where you should only provide information when you go to the desired website; never provide information when they come to you!

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect yourself  and your family through IDShield and LegalShield. Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca

Capital One Financial Corporation announced on July 29, 2019, they had determined that there was unauthorized access to the personal information of Capital One credit card customers.

The perpetrator has been caught, but the event affected approximately 100 million individuals in the United States and 6 million in Canada. 

The primary breach involved credit card application information; the perpetrator also obtained portions of credit card customer data, including:           

  –  Customer status data, e.g., credit scores, credit limits, balances, payment history, contact information                                        
  –  Fragments of transaction data from a total of 23 days during 2016, 2017 and 2018.

No bank account numbers or Social Security numbers were compromised, other than:                              
–  About 140,000 Social Security numbers of credit card customers                                                   
–  About 80,000 linked bank account numbers of secured credit card customers

For Canadian credit card customers, approximately 1 million Social Insurance Numbers were compromised in this incident.

They will notify affected individuals through a variety of channels and will make free credit monitoring and identity protection available to everyone affected.

The investigation is ongoing and analysis is subject to change.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how to protect yourself and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

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There is no doubt that texting has a number of advantages – speed, convenience and visible text are some important features.  However, there is one huge issue in that all is fine until the smart phone is lost or stolen.

Let’s look at a real life story.  A woman had her purse stolen while shopping. Her purse contained her bank card and her cell phone and the cell phone had “Hubby” listed under “Contacts”.  That would be handy whenever she needed to text her husband about something.  In the case of her lost purse, she had to quit shopping and subsequently went home.  When she got home she called her husband to tell him her purse had been stolen at a store.  He was surprised, because he thought she was at the bank.  He had received a text from her saying she was at the bank and had forgotten their PIN.  He had texted the PIN back to her.

By now you already know what happened!  The Thief had texted “Hubby” for the PIN using the phone in the stolen purse and hubby texted the PIN as requested.  The couple went directly to the bank, but found the maximum withdrawal had already been made.

Once again, a simple step would reduce the risk of such losses significantly; NEVER exchange such information without first verifying the need with a direct phone call first.  In the story we shared here, the husband wouldn’t have provided the PIN because his wife did not confirm the need in a phone call.

You can probably think of many situations where there would be considerable risk to personal information if texting was the only form of communication being used.  Please share this tip with others!

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

Cheque fraud isn’t a topic that makes news headlines often, but it does represent a lot of business for identity thieves. The National Check Fraud Center now estimates Check Fraud in North America exceeds $1 Billion per year.  Again, it can be only an estimate because not all such fraud gets reported.  Several types of crime are all related to Cheque Fraud: Counterfeit Cheques – Forgery – Cheque Alteration – Bank Fraud and White Collar Crimes.  As individuals, we have more control over some of those crimes than we do over others.

Our blank cheques can be used by criminals in their forgery activities.  They can access those in stolen wallets and purses, burglary and stolen mail.  We recommend that when ordering new cheques, have them come to your financial institution rather than directly in your mail.

Cheque “washing” occurs when criminals use various chemicals to erase the “Payee” name and /or the dollar amount, then enter their own name and increase the dollar value.  You can prevent that by writing cheques using gel pens formulated to penetrate the fibers of the paper and prevent “washing”.  We recommend the Unibal207 and the Zebra Z-Grip Max Gel.

From The National Check Fraud Center

• FORGED SIGNATURES–legitimate blank checks with an imitation of the payer signature;
• FORGED ENDORSEMENTS–often involves the use of a stolen check, which is then endorsed and cashed or deposited by someone other than the payee;
• COUNTERFEIT CHECKS–due to the advancement in color copying and desktop publishing capabilities, this is the fastest-growing source of fraudulent checks today;
• ALTERED CHECKS–information on a legitimate check, such as payee or check amount, changed to benefit the perpetrator;
• CHECK KITING–the process of depositing a check in one bank account into a second bank account without the sufficient funds to cover it.

DON’T GIVE OUT BANK OR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE
NEVER PAY ANY MONEY FOR ANY PRIZE YOU HAVE WON
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND CREDIT CARD COMPANIES DO NOT SEND E-MAILS REQUESTING UPDATED PERSONAL INFORMATION.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield. Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Last month we published the first article on “Internet of Things” and since indications are that there is significant growth in this crime, more information may be useful.   You may recall that Internet of Things simply refers to all devices in your home which are accessed in any way via an internet connection.  While some statistics are from the U. S. Federal Trade Commission, it’s safe to assume Canadians have the same kind of risk.

The primary targets of criminals seem to be routers and connected cameras – those representing 90% of the attacks.  Many families have routers in their residences and Home Automation systems frequently include connected cameras.  ConsumerAffairs reported that there were an average of 5233 attacks on such devices each month in 2018, with an increase of 12% in the attacks on cameras alone.

Symantec has reported that criminals have frequently used the following passwords to access systems: 123456, [BLANK}, system, sh, shell, admin, 1234, password, enable and 12345.  Those passwords are obviously very common, since cybercriminals have been successful at gaining access to systems so often.    

Based on this information and whether or not you have routers and /or cameras, make sure you have secure passwords and keep all security systems updated.                             

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

Smart phones and tablets are used for a multitude of activities, including “Apps” which are downloaded for various purposes.  Home automation is becoming popular – allowing you to remotely control various equipment items in your home; everything from your refrigerator to your security system.

Internet of Things is when you pair, or connect, your smart phone or tablet with all those consumer products, including your car.  Since you are using the internet to access those products or pieces of equipment, you are also  creating an opportunity for hackers to steal all your data and personal information.

If you feel you have been a victim of this type of criminal activity, report it to the police and get a copy of the police report.  Depending on what you have added to your network, you may also need to contact your insurance company, health care providers, the Credit Bureaus and certainly the Canadian Ant-Fraud Centre.

Having all the convenience of remote control can be very beneficial – just recognize that there are added risks.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

In this post we’ll identify some criminal and some simply unethical activities you might encounter when travelling.

In some countries, specific products may attract your attention.  One good example is hand woven rugs and carpets available in several Middle East and North Africa countries.  While some may be top quality at reasonable prices, others may be expensive but worthless.  Do some homework so you are somewhat knowledgeable about such products and what features to watch for, before spending your money.

 Another popular tourist item is jewellery.  You may find items billed as genuine gems or pure gold, but which instead are only a “pure” scam.  Once again, try to obtain some basic knowledge before spending money on such items.

Last, but not least, may be a situation where you are offered a tour of a famous church, temple or other famous attraction.  However, you then may be informed that the attraction is closed for some holiday, but you’re taken to a souvenir shop where your host or driver is receiving a commission.  This could happen even when the tour was supposed to be in your itinerary.  Be sure the specific tour offer is in writing, if it’s pre-planned, or ask around if it’s a last minute side trip while you’re in the area.  Get some assurance before paying the host, driver or tour guide.

Travel safely!

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

We have two more scams to watch for when travelling.

First is a currency exchange scam.  Getting your currency exchanged at a reputable bank or official exchange counter is the best way to stay safe.  Criminal organizations are offering the service at convenient locations using calculators that are rigged  to deliberately miscalculate the exchange rates.  Of course the miscalculation will always be in their favour, but unless you’re familiar with rates, you may not recognize the discrepancy.

The second scam comes in the form of a taxi meter.  Drivers in many parts of the world are adept at taking you for a ride – physically and financially!  Before calling for a taxi, ask around to get an idea of approximate taxi fares to certain destinations.  And when you get in the taxi, make sure the starting number on the meter is an amount you agreed to.

You may experience unexpected costs when you’re on a trip, but don’t make the problem worse by also being scammed.   Travel safely!

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

Here are the remaining tips from ScamBusters to help keep you safe from travel scams:

7.  Make sure you get copies of all documents – examples include receipts, your itinerary and the company’s cancellation and refund policies.

8.  Don’t be a victim of the high pressure tactics used by the perpetrators of travel scams.  They will often demand that you accept the offer “today”, or advise you that this is the last day the offer is available.  They don’t want you to do your due diligence to determine that they are, in fact, a fraud.  If it’s such a good deal they should welcome your checking of details.

9.  Don’t pay anything before you get the information.  Some scammers will even demand that you pay for the information.  Legitimate businesses want you to have all the information.

10 . Ask for references and contact them.  Then be wary of references who sound like they are simply repeating what the company told you.

If you think you have been a victim, call police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

Here are 3  more tips from ScamBusters to help keep you safe from travel scams:

4.  If you are interested in a travel offer, ask yourself what is NOT included.  That could include service charges, processing fees and taxes – all of which you would be expected to pay.  Ask for details and don’t be satisfied with vague information such as “major airline”, without actually naming it.

5.  It’s a good idea to pay with a credit card because you can dispute the charge if it turns out to be a scam.  But be sure you know what the dispute window is on your credit card – is it 60 days?  In some cases the offer may be for an “available” price or discount that is more than 60 days away.

6.  Never dial a 900 number to reach a travel agency, discount club or any other offer.  No legitimate company will require you to pay for a 900 call to their customer service department.  Beware also of numbers with 809, 758 or 664 area codes.  The number may appear ordinary, but is actually like an unregulated 900 number originating in the Caribbean, charging you exorbitant per minute rates.

As we have warned in many other posts, never exchange information or money when they contact you; only when you have verified their legitimacy and you call them.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

We’re nearing a busy vacation and travel season and scammers know people are looking for bargains.  ScamBusters have some tips to keep you safe and we’ll mention 3 of them here.

1.  If you receive a travel deal by e-mail, it’s most certainly a scam.  Most bulk e-mail travel offers or free vacations are scams.  If you receive the offer by phone, be skeptical.  If you’re not personally familiar with company, get the name, address and local telephone number.  (Scam example: Our family has received phone calls offering us a great WestJet travel bargain because we have been such loyal customers.  It’s a scam because we have never flown on WestJet.)

2.  “If it sounds too good to be true …..”   It’s likely a scam.  Listen for the details or read the fine print.  In many of these scams, the air fare may be free, but there could be a clause that states you must stay in specific accommodations.  Public contests and lotteries have rules and regulations and you usually have to “enter” to win.  Always get more details – it shouldn’t cost anything to get your prize.

3.  Never give your credit card number over the phone unless you made the call and you know the company is reputable.  You should never have to give additional information such as banking information or Social Insurance Number.

More on this topic in the next post.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

Travel and vacation scams are often similar to various rental scams.  The scammer will advertise a vacation property that looks inviting with excellent terms, conditions and pricing.  It usually means that it looks like a good deal and there doesn’t appear to be anything suspicious.

Unfortunately, the pictures may have nothing to do with any real property and the property itself may, or may not, even exist.  There will likely be some pressure to act quickly to take advantage of the offer and to send a deposit.  That will be the end of any contact or transactions – the scammer simply disappears, with your deposit.

Sometimes the offer of such a property may be from someone claiming to be an agent or broker who specializes in vacation rental properties. They may suggest they represent a travel company which sounds legitimate.  A common practice is for the “agent” to claim that there are many buyers interested in the property, so to take advantage of the offer you must act quickly to send your deposit.  There may even be an added charge to facilitate fast processing of the deposit.

Never be pressured into sending money quickly.  Check with the property owner if possible, check public records and online reviews to make sure the property is as listed.  And don’t pay the fees or deposits by wire transfers or debit cards.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

Scammers use these approaches to create victims by keying on the general reluctance and apprehension people have for courts and jury duty.

The first one involves a phone call from someone advising that you didn’t show up for jury duty – that will create some fear of having done something illegal by not attending.  The scam is that the caller will then request that you provide personal information so they can update the file and cancel an arrest warrant.  The possible arrest warrant is another tactic to play on fears and make you inclined to provide the requested information.

A similar scam involves a caller, posing as a court employee, asking you to provide personal information for possible jury duty.  Once again, even though you may not be enthused about jury duty, you are tempted to provide the information to avoid any penalty for refusing.

Don’t provide personal information when requested to do so by telephone or text.  If it’s in writing, you can verify legitimacy by calling the sender for confirmation before responding.

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.

Please share this information to help keep others safe.

We continue to receive questions about the Equifax breach from last year, even though it hasn’t been in the news lately.

The first thing to remember is that the breach was at Equifax US , not Equifax Canada.  We understand that only two groups of Canadians who may have had their personal information put at risk.

1.  Any Canadian residents who have U.S. Social Security cards.  We have met one individual who, although an American citizen with a U.S Social Security Card, has lived in Canada for 40 years.  At about the time of the Equifax breach, she received a letter from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) that someone in the U.S. was attempting to use her Social Security number.  With the help of our IDShield Provider, we were able to help her get a form for submission to the IRS to confirm her own identity.

2.  Any Canadians who may have made a major purchase in the U.S., which would have triggered a credit check.  That check would have gone through Equifax.

We also understand that anyone who may have had their information compromised were to receive a letter from Equifax.  We hope that information helps. 

Please go to lloydkenney.wearelegalshield.com for more information on how you can protect you and your family through IDShield and LegalShield.  Contact us at callcraft@shaw.ca.

For information on other services we have available, please visit performanceplanning.ca.