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Individuals who are involved in theft may come across as very polite individuals who would love to help you out. The reality is that if they are asking for personal information, they are most likely planning on doing fraudulent activities. They can sometimes pass as a friendly face on Facebook because they were able to hack into your friend’s profile and then try to hack as many more individuals’ accounts after that. The information they get from these people is enough to put anyone in a panic to change all their info.  Do not give your personal information or banking information to anyone online. BIG RED FLAG

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This movie shows how individuals can become a victim and how unaware we can be of someone taking advantage of our credit cards and names. While the theft was shopping the victim was being detained because he was not able to buy his gas because his credit card had no money on it. Just to find out someone stole his identity. This shows that many of us can tend to be careless. They just need our information from our social media, and they have an in. This can happen to anyone and even to find the person or persons who did it is very hard to get justice.

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Identity Thief Official Trailer #2 (2013) - Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy Movie HD

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1. What we learned about the topic that surprised us the most is that identity and credit fraud can literally happen to any of us. It can be from things we use everyday not even realizing has so much of our information. We put a lot of trust into the Internet and hoping that our information is secure but after learning this content, we really ask ourselves, how safe are we?
2. A real example of how this topic is relevant is that I've gotten many calls from "the CRA" claiming there's a warrant for my arrest and that I must leave my SIN number so that things can be resolved. Even sometimes picking up the call, they're able to get some kind of information from you, just from answering and hanging up.  It's scary to think the measures people go to to find fraud victims.
3. The most important knowledge we think to pass on to others is to always protect your information and never give out any personal information if you find it to be a potential fraud crime. Also, limit the way you interact on the internet and the information you leave on there. Always protect your pins, passwords and accounts and keep them somewhere where only you have access to.

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On CBC NEWS this article states that during covid 19, the victims of identity theft have gone up a huge chunk. This is done in a call center in another country, they target older individuals by scaring them into thinking they owe money, and they would tell them to buy visa credit cards. Many individuals have fallen victim to this scam losing over 80 k in money thinking they owe money. Only to then realize they never did and lost all their money. Usually when it’s anything about owning money. You will always receive a letter in the mail asking for you to call them to speak about the matter.

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An explosion of COVID-19 cases last summer ripped through the Mumbai suburb of Malad West with such devastation, Indian police poured in to lock down the busy streets and the low-rise office towers that cram them.

In doing so, officers inadvertently disrupted scam calls targeting Canadians by shutting off the flow of fraudsters who work inside call centres across the area.

But that's all ended now.

When strict lockdowns abated in the mega-city, the hunger of criminal syndicates for the millions they successfully steal outweighed any ongoing public health fears.

"There are six to seven centres [within] 80 to 100 metres," Jayesh Dubey explained to CBC Marketplace via video conference under the cover of night from within the business quarter.

And in one night, they'll steal "$70,000 to $80,000."

For months, Dubey, a whistleblower within the scam centre industry, has been observing the "hundreds of workers" pouring into entire floors of buildings. He says that in the early days of the pandemic, scam centres were shut down. But now they're back in full swing, with scammers posing as tax officials and bank employees, convincing unsuspecting Canadians to pay up or risk serious consequences.

The bank investigator scheme is now one of the most prolific, a resurrected scam of the past, with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reporting at least $3 million stolen from Canadians in an already dark 2020.

"With everything that's going on in the world and the pandemic ... we get distracted or we think it's real," said Ryan Duquette, a cybercrime investigator based in the Toronto area.

The fraudsters, who have tripled their illegal take on the bank investigator scam since 2017, strike "a lot of fear" in their targets, Duquette says.

"If you don't listen to what [they're] saying right now, you will lose something. You will lose your bank account. It'll be shut down. You'll lose money."

Cancer patient ripped off for $27,100

Ahmed, a cancer patient in his 60s, borrowed money to pay the scammers, a debt that could well outlast him.

"It has shaken both of us," said Ahmed of himself and his wife.

He's also worried coming forward could put his family's safety at risk, so Marketplace is not using his full name.

When his phone rang this winter, the caller identified herself as an investigator with the Royal Bank of Canada. She warned Ahmed his credit card had been compromised and his identity had been stolen.

And, says Ahmed, she claimed that, "maybe people from within RBC are also involved."

Ahmed and his wife had just watched a CTV News Toronto story about a couple in their Brampton, Ont., neighbourhood who had indeed lost their home after thieves duplicated their identities and managed to mortgage their property - stealing the money.

It made Ahmed, a retired man originally from India himself, even more vulnerable to the scammers' plan.

The scammer directed Ahmed to purchase gift cards, which she explained would be tied to the purported thieves, and thus help to track who they were.

At this point, many who receive such a call would be skeptical. To Ahmed, this was a skilled professional who "had an answer for everything." She also said she had information, which made her seem more convincing.

She claimed to have his name, home number, address, some bank information and more - information that is often obtained from contact lists gathered sometimes by legitimate businesses that scammers buy for pennies per name.

Ahmed's caller ID listed her number as one associated with the real Royal Bank - likely the result of call-spoofing technology that allows scammers to appear as though they are calling from a specific phone number.

It convinced him, feeding into his fear about losing his home.

Even amid a pandemic, scam centres are booming

India has one of the world's most sophisticated and developed information technology and call centre industries. It has created a plethora of under-employed English-speaking experts, a small percentage of whom have been recruited by nefarious operators.

They get paid a percentage of the steal. The good ones make more money in a night than they might make in a month in a legitimate business.

And, Jayesh Dubey points out, it's simple to get into the scamming business.

"I'll tell you how easy it would be," said Dubey. "I'll buy five systems, laptops, one server computer, I'll hire five people, I'll buy leads ... with two dollars, I get 100 names."

He says it would take just days to be operational.

And you don't even need office space anymore. Any location with internet access works, and India is highly connected. Some scam centres have moved into residential apartments, making them virtually impossible to detect or stop - even inadvertently with COVID lockdowns.

Why don't banks flag unusual transactions?

Ahmed had never done anything like this before, pulling $27,100 from his credit cards and line of credit over four days - sending it all to what he would later discover was an overseas scammer.

He withdrew over half of the money in person at an RBC branch.

In the U.K., staff are specifically trained to detect the warning signs of a scam, such as an unusual withdrawal. British staff would then warn the customer that they may be a potential victim - and are directed to call police to attend the bank itself, if they have concerns. The police would then help ascertain if a scam is indeed taking place.

The Banking Protocol, as it's known, is now working to alert customers, and dispatch police to a home address when an unusual transaction appears to be scam related.

Jennifer Ford-Smith, a certified fraud examiner and anti-money-laundering specialist, says Canada would benefit from a similar approach.

"Those scams will keep changing," she said, "but that's where we want the banks to be saying to customers, 'We've seen this type of thing before, in this realm before. If you're pressured to send money to someone you've never met in person before, something's not lining up here, let's all take a step back here and consider whether this is legitimate or not.'"

The Canadian Bankers Association, which represents Canada's big banks, said staff, "are trained to ask probing questions if a customer makes an unusual transaction," but that customers always have a right "to access their money."

RBC does have a detailed fraud warning on its website and, in a statement, the bank said it employs "around the clock sophisticated monitoring systems and controls" and may "proactively contact our clients."

While RBC did not directly respond to claims of a scammer posing as a bank representative, it told Marketplace it reviews "each instance of potential fraud or unauthorized transactions on a case-by-case basis and take[s] all relevant facts and information into consideration before making a decision."

Ahmed, who had never withdrawn so much at once or made such a substantial drawdown on his credit cards or line of credit, says no one at the bank offered any warning.

RBC also said its clients, "must take precautions ... and take extra steps to ensure they are dealing with a trusted source when transferring or receiving funds."

Banks need to do more, victim says

While Ahmed recognizes his own role in becoming a victim, he believes the bank's approach fails to protect vulnerable customers' life savings.

"First and foremost the responsibility goes to the bank itself," he said.

While banks routinely warn customers about potential fraudulent activity on their credit cards, tracked by sophisticated algorithms that identify unusual purchases, experts say there is not the same emphasis on large and out-of-character withdrawals by customers from savings accounts and lines of credit.

Ryan Duquette, the cybercrime investigator, says there "is some responsibility for the banks," while noting that financial institutions do manage thousands of large transactions every day.

He emphasizes that banks should educate their clients, and recommends that banks work with police "to make sure that these things can be investigated and so maybe bring some of these criminals to justice quicker."

Ahmed recognizes that his own errors played a role in becoming a victim, but believes large financial institutions have a duty of care over their most vulnerable customers.

The Canadian Bankers Association told Marketplace: " Banks in Canada constantly scan the threat horizon for financial frauds and scams directed at customers, and they go to great lengths to protect and support clients affected by unauthorized activity. The banking sector is not only co-ordinated in sharing information on ever-evolving fraud types and tactics, but also works closely with law enforcement across the country to exchange intelligence and improve information flows."

Jennifer Ford-Smith, the fraud examiner, said customers whose banks failed to warn them amid signs of a scam should be asking tough questions.

"The bank's reputation is at stake," said Ford-Smith. "Customers need to consider, really need to consider, whether they go back and ask the bank what sort of help is available there because these people are victims and it's changed their lives completely."

Watch full episodes of Marketplace on CBC Gem, the CBC's streaming service

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As COVID surged, Indian police shut down scam centres targeting Canadians. Now, they're back | CBC News

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An explosion of COVID-19 cases last summer ripped through the Mumbai suburb of Malad West with such devastation, Indian police poured in to lock down the busy streets and the low-rise office towers that cram them. In doing so, officers inadvertently disrupted scam calls targeting Canadians by shutting off the flow of fraudsters who work inside call centres across the area.

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On the CRA website, it always states that they keep an eye on everyone’s account. Once they see strange activity on the CRA profile, they will send mail to your home address. They will never call to inform us about strange activities, that is one of the ways thefts can get victims. They scare them into thinking fraudulent activities have already happened to get you to give information, so they are now able to gain access to confirm passcodes. The CRA will never call you or send you an email inquiring about strange activities on your account, they will only send a letter in the mail. That is the only thing you need to know about fraudulent activities done from the “CRA”

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This image shows an anonymous person who  is doing fraud. This person is logging on to retrieve all passwords, iCloud accounts, credit and debit card numbers, emails, personal documents and identities.
We chose this image because usually this is how criminals access all your information, especially doing it online. As much as we use the internet, the internet easily has the most information about us, and any one with these skills can somehow access our information and potentially steal out identities.

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With this link, you will be able to learn what is an Identity theft and how to know if you could potentially be a victim to identity theft. Identity theft is a serious crime that happens more often than people may realize. In this link, you can find information on how to identity if you are a victim, what to do once you realize you are one, and tips to avoid fraud.
We chose this link because it is very informational on what identity theft is how to prevent it happening to you. It explains the different ways you could go about becoming a victim and how to safely report it.

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This website tells readers how to prevent credit fraud on their accounts. It explains how to keep your credit files private and how to restore your information once you realize that you're a fraud victim. It also gives you other resources to contact if you're put into that situation.
We chose this website because it is a popular and reliable company and website that has great resources to help when you become a fraud victim. It's a company we've heard about for years and it really helped a lot of people when experiencing fraud.

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Amazing mind reader gives a point of view, of how many random people put themselves in a vulnerable position to be involved in identify theft, done to the point of becoming a victim. Many people have enough information a social media to give enough confirmation of a theft. become a victim. I learned from this video that locations on pictures where I have visited can put me in a position to have identity theft done.  I learned to not have all my information on social media, just knowing your full name and even a school you graduated from gives a lot to become a victim.

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What to do if you're a victim to Identity theft Video

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What to do if you're a victim to Identity theft Video

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In this video, you will receive the information on how to report any credit or identity theft you may become a victim to. It educates you on to how safely and accurately report your account and ID, get police involved to investigate and get all your personal information kept safely until further action is being done.
We chose this video because it easily explains how you could be a victim and what to do once you become a victim and how to report it safely. It clarifies all the steps that need to be taken after you've become a victim and gives you major companies that can help you with any theft.

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What to do if You're a Victim of Identity Theft

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This video shows you how thieves used skimmers to get people's card numbers and identities to do criminal activities. In the first example, there is a burger place employee who would scan customers card twice to get their information. In the next clip, you see a couple that hid a camera behind the debit reader at gas stations to collect your information while you pay for gas at the pump.
We chose this video to upload to show others that identity theft and credit fraud can occur at places you normally would go to almost every day.

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Credit Card Thieves Caught on Tape Using Skimmers | Nightline | ABC News

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Hello Readers,
In this padlet, you will receive the knowledge of credit fraud and identity theft and how much the Internet has our identity without us really noticing how much information they really have. The contents are credit fraud, identity theft, how to protect your online transactions and how to report fraud/identity theft. You can expect to learn various ways to protect your credit and identity from becoming a victim and using all online transactions safely.