Police week activities include reminders about cyber crime, locking doors

Thunder Bay may be isolated in many ways, but cyber criminals have started to take notice.

Det. Const. Marc Lemelin of the Thunder Bay Police Service’s economic crime unit, called it an emerging trend in the city, something everyone needs to be aware of or risk becoming a victim.

“It is starting to reach our area,” Lemelin said, noting there are plenty of different ways people are being taken advantage of over the Internet.

“It’s being done through fraudulent things for sale, through e-Bay or Kijiji. We have something called phishing, where someone on their email will receive a mock bank website, where the bank is asking for information to verify their records.”

Financial institutions rarely, if ever, ask for that type of information over the Internet, said Lemelin, who was helping local police educate the public Monday at Intercity Shopping Centre, part of Police Week activities.

Just because the offer seems legitimate, it’s worth doing your homework, he added.

“It goes back to that old saying, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Use your common sense and if your gut tells you this doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t.”

Lemelin was also reminding the public to take an extra few seconds to lock their garages, homes and keep valuables in vehicles out of sight, part of the Stop and Lock program.

“Anything that will attract that type of attention, if somebody wants it, they’ll get it one way or the other, “ Lemelin said.

“So don’t leave electronic equipment in the front seat of your vehicle and if your garage is unlocked, make sure it’s not going to create an attraction for people to get into it.”

The city may have a small-town mentality when it comes to property crimes, but common sense should prevail.

“Most people wouldn’t leave their wallet sitting on the dashboard of the car, because they think, ‘That’s my wallet.’ But you leave your iPad sitting on the front seat of your car. It’s kind of the same thing.”