SnowbirdAlert Don’t Be a Victim to These Six Common Scams If Internet scams are not on your radar, they should be. It is not only businesses that can fall prey to these scams. Plenty of Canadians have had their personal information stolen through similar schemes. Here’s what to look for in six common scams: 1. CEO spoofing. Victims receive an e-mail claiming to be from the “CEO” asking them to make an urgent payment outside of normal procedures. E-mails are written in a different style than usual and there is an uncommon payment request. The money is inevitably stolen. 2. E-mail scam. Phishing scams appear to be legitimate e-mails, but are fraudulent messages that may lead to downloading viruses or may be attempts to collect and steal personal information. Beware of unsolicited e-mails that require clicking through. Equip all hard drives and network systems with anti-phishing software. 3. Invoice scam. Fraudsters research a company so that they know which suppliers are used and when regular payments are due. They then pose as a supplier to create phony invoices. Watch for small discrepancies in invoices, such as a different address. Implement a standard accounts payable process so that all invoices are validated. 4. Text message. Text scams called “smishing” look like they are from a bank or other trusted organization and alert the victim to an account fraud or personal issue. Most smishing messages play on fear. Any correspondence that requires personal details is usually a scam. 5. Internet scams. A fake pop-up sends a “scam alert” message. Clicking on it links to a fake website, or allows malware to be downloaded. Beware of any unsolicited message that requires you to link to somewhere else. 6. Phone scam. Fraud over the phone, called “vishing,” is still popular. It happens when a fraudster calls, claiming to be from the bank or some other trusted organization. It is a scam if personal or financial details such as PIN numbers or banking passwords are requested. Protect your workplace by encouraging employees to be on the lookout for scams. Ongoing security training should teach them to question every request for payment or information change, and to never disclose sensitive personal information via phone, text or e-mail. All organizations should implement a culture of security from the top down. Partner with reliable third parties for security-related services, such as Shred-it, to outsource document destruction and eliminate security risks. www.newscanada.com The province of Saskatchewan is implementing a tax on all insurance premiums, including Travel Medical Insurance, effective July 1, 2017. The P.S.T. rate of 6% applies to all policies with a coverage term starting on or after August 1, 2017. Please write to Premier Brad Wall and the members of the Saskatchewan legislature expressing your outrage with this action. For assistance with constructing your letter, we offer the following resource to assist you, as well as a link to obtain contact information for the premier and MLAs. www.snowbirds.org/writing-guidelines Lawn Mower Safety •• Dress appropriately: long pants, long-sleeved shirts, eye and ear protection, heavy gloves and sturdy, closed-toed shoes with slip-resistant rubber soles. Wear sun protection, a wide-brimmed hat and drink plenty of water. •• Never disengage the fail-safe mechanism (dead-man switch) found on power mowers. It triggers the important safety feature of stopping the blades quickly as soon as the handle of a walk-behindmower is released, or the operator of a ride-on mower falls off of the seat. •• Turn the mower off before attempting to examine the blades, dislodge debris or adjust wheel height. •• Avoidmowing the lawn when it is wet and slippery. •• Do not allow children under the age of 16 to use ride-on mowers and children under the age of 12 to use walk-behind mowers. •• When mowing a ditch, mow down a slope, not across. Better yet, ditch the mower and use a trimmer. •• Never allow passengers on ride-on mowers. •• Always look behind you before putting a ride-on mower in reverse. Saskatchewan Imposes INSURANCE TAX 6 | www.snowbirds.org
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