Calgarians scammed out of $75M in 2015, say police

Calgarianslost as much as$75 million tofraudsters in 2015, according to the Calgary Police Service.

Nearly 5,000 peoplecontacted police to reportbeingscammedin thelast year alone.

• Take a behind-the-scenes look at acredit card labseized byCalgary police

"It's definitely a trend that's growing across the country," said Staff Sgt. Kristie Verheul. "We do see new scams every day pop up."

She said scams include those involving mortgages, phishing, door-to-door salesmans, Ponzi schemes and impersonation where fraudsters pose as Canada Revenue Agency or Immigration Canada officials.

To combat this growing trend, police and government agencies, community groups, businesses and members of the financial industry across Alberta have joined the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association to raise awareness and inform members of the public about the most common frauds.

"The best way to prevent fraud is to stop it before it starts. When we are able to recognize fraud, we are better equipped to protect ourselves from being victimized," said Mayor NaheedNenshi,who has proclaimed March 2016 as Fraud Prevention Month.

For more tips on fraud prevention,Verheul recommends visiting theCPS website.

Fraud Prevention Month partners will alsobe at CrossIron MillsonSaturdayto answer any fraud-related questions.