Tis the season to be scammed

As the Christmas season rapidly approaches Kawartha Lakes Police are reminding area residents to be vigilant about fraudsters who may contact through the telephone or their computers.

Over the past week, Kawartha Lakes Police have received calls about the ever-popular Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) fraud and the Microsoft Windows virus scam.

In the CRA scam, people have been pressured into obtaining iTunes cards and then revealing the security codes under threat of arrest by the police for outstanding taxes. CRA will never ask for payment of outstanding taxes in iTunes cards.

The Microsoft Windows virus scam is another common scam where fraudsters will try to take over your computer under the guise of fixing a virus problem with it. Never divulge passwords or other personal information to anyone and if your computer needs repair ensure you take it to a reputable computer repair service.

These are common scams that can easily be avoided, says Police, who remind to always take the time to check the call and don’t be afraid to hang up.

Take the time to validate who is calling you and what they are up to and never provide them with personal or credit card information.