Brent Bohrn, acting sergeant with the Medicine Hat Police Service discusses fraud prevention measures. (Ross Lavigne/CHAT News)

By Jesse Gill

Tips to avoid online fraud from the Medicine Hat Police Service

Mar 19, 2024 | 4:55 PM

The internet makes it easy for scammers to trick people into giving away their money and personal information.

Whether it’s a person acting as a business person looking for you to “use their services” or a person trying to convince you to buy products from them or just give them money.

Brent Bohrn, the acting sergeant with the community support unit of the Medicine Hat Police Service, said it’s important to check if e-mails are coming from a legitimate email address.

You should also be doing some online research on the business, looking for reviews both positive and negative.

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If the company is local, you should go to visit them in person, and avoid pre-paying for services.

You should also be wary of, wire transfers, bitcoin and gift card purchase requests.

Only make online purchases from websites that you trust.

There is always risk with communicating with somebody online that you don’t know, face to face, Bohrn said.

“There are frauds out there that will target people on relationship sites or dating sites and take advantage of people when they’re most vulnerable,” Bohrn said.

“Be very cautious with the information that you provide to somebody online,” he added.

“Don’t provide banking information or credit card information unless you’re sure that it is a business that, is a legitimate business.”

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is, Bohrn explained.

If someone calls claiming to be a family member in need of money that you can’t verify, make sure to talk with other family members to confirm the legitimacy.

Victims of fraud can contact the police for advice and a potential investigation.