Here are five scams to watch out for

The saying “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” is usually met with eye-rolling — but clearly it’s a message still lost on the thousands of Canadians who are scammed each year. Postmedia’s Michael Lumsden spoke with Staff Sgt. Jeff Bell of t

1. Canada Revenue Agency scam

This scam usually involves someone posing as a representative from the Canada Revenue Agency requesting personal or financial information. It isn’t limited to just tax time and people who aren’t familiar with how the Canada Revenue Agency works tend to get preyed on the most. Bell says most Canadians simply “do not want to fight the government and will just go along with it.” The Government of Canada has a website dedicated to helping identify and stop these specific scams.

2. Lottery/inheritance

A large sum of money is promised to you after someone you know — ostensibly in a faraway country — has died. Usually the most easily recognizable and deflected scam.

3. Door-to-door/utility scams

Typically involves someone knocking on your door telling you a new furnace is required for your safety. Over-the-phone utility scams rely on a quick turnaround ultimatum: the victim is told they have 20 minutes or less to pay a large sum on a long-running, delinquent bill or they will lose their power/water/cable.

4. Romance scams

The classic long con. The scammer preys on an emotional aspect of someone’s life, whether it is loneliness for love or friendship. “They build quite a bit more trust with the mark. Get more into personal issues that have sentimental value, and use that to get money for various reasons,” Bell said.

5. Software scams

The Internet is a dangerous place and even when it looks like help is on the way, it could be harmful for your pocketbook. Pop-up scam windows with flashing warnings about your computer being infected should be treated with caution. Be wary of any messages prompting you to call a phone number to fix your computer — scammers at the other end of the line could be seeking access to your computer and, with it, access to all of your personal information.

Bell says the underlying message from police when it comes to scams is simple: they have to be reported.

“We recognize a sense of embarrassment with being scammed. Even though it’s embarrassing, we can’t help unless we know what’s going on.”