Warning from the Sûreté du Québec on fraud cases

The Sûreté du Québec wishes to inform the population of cases of fraud by e-mail and text message in Brome-Missisquoi.

In the last few weeks, investigators from the Brome-Missisquoi MRC’s Sûreté du Québec stations have been investigating several cases of credit card fraud.

The Sûreté du Québec would like to remind the population of the Eastern Townships of some prevention tips to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of fraud. Fraudsters use a variety of schemes to get money out of their victims.

Victims received a text or email message stating that they had an outstanding traffic ticket that needed to be paid now by clicking on a link that allowed them to enter credit card details. Subsequently, the victims experienced several fraudulent transactions on the card used.

When using these scams, the fraudsters try to put pressure on their victims. For example, in recent cases, it was written that the amount had to be received by the end of the day. That’s why you should always make sure you do the necessary checks before trusting anyone, even if the text message or e-mail seems to come from a collection service, a delivery service, a banking institution or even a police department. In fact, a photo of a policewoman accompanied a fraudulent email.

  • Never give money to a stranger or to someone whose identity you have not verified.
  • If an individual claims to be acting on behalf of an organization, contact the organization directly and check the email address against the retailer’s official website.
  • Never give out personal information to someone who cannot prove their legitimacy.
  • When someone is too insistent or even insolent (e.g., demands your answer on the spot), ask yourself questions, don’t trust them.
  • Check your bank and credit card statements frequently.

The Sûreté du Québec invites the public to consult the Tips section (Conseils) of its website at https://www.sq.gouv.qc.ca/services/prevention/ (in French only) to learn more about fraud or to consult the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm

Publications