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Stop Theft

Fraud Alerts

The Fraud Section of the Fredericton Police Force investigates hundreds of fraud related files each year. The information on this page has been compiled to assist citizens in guarding themselves against being a victim. Please feel free to contact our fraud investigators:

Crime can strike anyone, anywhere! Victims cannot be classified according to age, economic status, profession or occupation. Fraudulent schemes range from fraudulent cheque or credit card purchases to land deals, home improvement and bank inspector frauds.

If you are offered a deal that sounds too good to be true, chances are that is just the case. It's probably a con game or swindle. Most of us think that we couldn't be tricked into handing over our hard-earned money for "phony" deals. But confident artists are experts in human psychology and behavior. They know how to gain your confidence with smooth talk and a self-assured manner. Most successful con games are old schemes with new trappings. You can't recognize a con by the way he or she looks, but you can be on the lookout for the most common consumer frauds.

Two golden rules to follow are:

1. Never turn over money to a stranger, no matter how promising the opportunity appears.
2. Do not rush into anything involving your money or property. Allow yourself time to make financial decisions

In today's credit oriented society, cash is almost obsolete - replaced by cheques and credit cards for everyday purchases. Cheques and credit cards provide those persons having fraudulent intent with an excellent means of getting something for nothing with minimum risk.

CHEQUE SENSE

• Keep blank cheques and bankbooks in a safe, secure place.
• Destroy any cancelled cheques that you do not require. Store those that you must keep in a safe place.
• Destroy unused cheques on closed accounts.
• Destroy partially completed cheques or deposit slips. Cheque artists could use them to manufacture fraudulent cheques.
• Don't leave blank spaces on your cheques. This will make it more difficult to alter the cheque.
• Do not sign a blank cheque.
• Do not endorse a cheque before you are in the bank cashing it.
• Do not lend your identification, pin number, credit cards or cheques to anyone. You may be held responsible for their use.
• Do not leave your identification, credit cards or cheques in your vehicle at any time.
• Destroy unused or expired identification.
• Report lost or stolen identification, cheques and credit cards to the police immediately.
• Do not accept third party cheques from unknown persons.