2020: Starting a Year of Clarity
We hope that you all had an enjoyable holiday, and that this year is treating you well. As we continue a period of change for our organization, we wanted to provide a brief update, along with some resources.
Our forthcoming app is expected to launch this Spring, and will be a great tool to connect you to community resources, as well as helping to coordinate Watch information and activity. Don’t worry – as soon as it is ready we will let you know.
2020: A Unique Opportunity for Fraud
While we are excited for this new year, it also represents a unique opportunity for fraud that does not come around often.
Most of us might date a document or a cheque using only the last two digits of the year. Normally this would not be an issue, but 2020 represents an odd case: if you date something 01/17/20, a fraudster could append a series of numbers to the date. This date could easily become 01/27/2019, or future dated, to something like 01/17/2021.
Just remember, until we ring in 2021, write out the full year on any legal documents or cheques. You can read more here.
Preventing Fraud as we Approach Tax Season
CRA’s (Canada Revenue Agency) April 30th deadline is approaching. As it does, expect a ramp up in CRA phone scams. Scammers will call pretending to be CRA representatives, threatening arrest, legal action or asset seizure unless if payment is made immediately. These scammers try to catch people off guard, and in many cases have demanded payment in the form of gift cards or Western Union transfers.
If you receive a questionable call from CRA, hang up, and call an officially listed CRA number. Don’t let yourself be a victim to one of the most massive frauds affecting Canadians today.
Here’s a helpful video that we hope you will share with your fellow Watch members:
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