The month of March, dedicated to fraud prevention, is the perfect opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of protecting their identity and finances in the face of increasingly sophisticated scams. With increasingly complex methods, fraudsters are threatening our personal and financial security. Simple actions and constant vigilance are needed to avoid falling into their traps.

Every day, many people fall victim to fraud attempts, whether by telephone, e-mail or online. To avoid being deceived, you must always be attentive and ask yourself the right questions. 

To protect yourself from fraudsters, it is essential to never give out your personal information to strangers or on websites that look suspicious. If you receive a suspicious message, whether by e-mail or text message, never reply to it or click on any of the links.

It's important to use complex passwords for your online accounts, and to avoid reusing the same passwords for different accounts. A password manager can also be a good solution for reinforcing the security of your information.

The importance of information

Prevention also starts with education. In March, numerous initiatives are underway to make people aware of the risks of fraud and teach them to adopt good practices. Taking part in workshops, reading information guides or subscribing to alerts can help people better understand how scams work and how to avoid them.

Report to protect yourself

It's also important to promptly report any attempted fraud to the appropriate authorities. This not only protects you, but also helps prevent new victims and limit the activities of fraudsters. The earlier frauds are reported, the harder it is for fraudsters to continue scamming others.

Fraud prevention is everyone's business, and every action counts. The Sûreté du Québec provides useful resources to help you better understand the risks and adopt safe practices. To learn more about fraud prevention and access the information you need to take effective action, visit the Prevention section of the Sûreté du Québec website at sq.gouv.qc.ca.