The holiday season is fast approaching, bringing about one of the biggest shopping seasons. Officials warn consumers to beware of a steal of a deal, as scammers try to steal their personal information.
With Black Friday, Cyber Monday and weeks of Christmas shopping, it’s a popular time for scammers to prey on the most gullible.
Alberta RCMP say they experience higher reports of unauthorized use of credit card information in the run-up to the holidays.
In 2023, Mounties tracked more than 8,500 reports of fraud. According to the service, they received:
- 2,399 reports of fraud (money/property/security) greater than $5,000
- 6,374 reports of fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5,000
In the last two months of 2023, the service recorded:
Story continues below advertisement
- 432 reports of fraud (money/property/security) greater than $5,000
- 1,085 reports of fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5,000
Cybersecurity analyst Ritesh Kotak says not only are scams on the rise, but they’re more sophisticated too thanks to artificial intelligence (AI).
“Before, you used to get …