March is Fraud Prevention Month

The RCMP believes fraud in Canada is approaching the size and scope of the drug trade.

Research shows that fraud is the crime that affects the most Canadians, said the head of the RCMP's major fraud unit.

RCMP Insp. Kerry Petryshyn said mass marketing fraud alone accounts for nearly $10 billion in fraud losses every year.

"That's over a million victims," he said.

Total losses from the crime are actually $30 billion a year, police estimate.

"Which is pretty close to the drug industry here in Canada, however a lot more victims," he said.

Types of fraud include email fraud, spam and compromised credit cards.

March is fraud prevention month and the RCMP is taking part in a two-day conference in Ottawa called Preventing Fraud in the Digital Age.

This month RCMP wants Canadians to do more to protect themselves.

Petryshyn said that while the internet is a fertile place for fraud to occur, it's also a powerful tool to gather cautionary tales.

"If you query yourself the name or the information and the product you're buying, the company you're dealing with or whatever you have, chances are pretty good if someone's been ripped off they're written about it and you can see that and then use that information," he said.