OSC takes aim at fraudsters through amped up investor education initiatives

TORONTO, March 1, 2023 /CNW/ - The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) is helping people to avoid becoming victims of fraud and to make more informed financial decisions during Fraud Prevention Month.

"Now more than ever investors need to protect their money and their families from fraud," said Tyler Fleming, Director of the OSC's Investor Office. "Anyone can become a victim of fraud. During Fraud Prevention Month we're putting the spotlight on scammers and their schemes to help investors recognize, reject, and report fraud."

The OSC has many Fraud Prevention Month outreach events and free, unbiased educational resources including:

• FraudPreventionMonth.ca  – Visit our new webpage of consolidated resources to learn more about spotting and stopping fraud.
• Check Before You Invest – The OSC brings fraud prevention warnings to downtown Toronto with a digital billboard campaign at Yonge Dundas Square.
• Province-wide Telephone Townhall – Join our special Fraud Prevention Month virtual townhall on March 7 at 7 p.m. EST. Ontarians can ask OSC staff questions and hear from experts about protecting their money from fraud. Register now.
• Fraud prevention Twitter chat – Join the OSC's Twitter chat to get smarter about fraud on March 9 from 1 to 2 p.m. EST. The chat will include special guests from law enforcement, community organizations and regulatory partners. Follow the OSC's investor education Twitter handle, @smarter_money, for the latest information and use the hashtags #FraudChat and #FPM2023 to participate.
• Seniors Seminar: Safety Promotion and Scam Prevention – the OSC will be presenting at an open to public event with other fraud prevention partners including York Regional Police and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre on March 21 at Seniors' Meeting Place, 474 Davis Drive in Newmarket. Click to register.
• Check before you invest video series – Watch our new videos with reminders of why it's important to always check to confirm the registration of anyone trying to sell you an investment.
• Scam spotter – Use this tool to learn to spot the warning signs of fraud and to protect yourself from suspected scams.
• Social media educational posts – Find tips, articles and tools to protect your money during Fraud Prevention Month on our social channels: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
• Investor News – The OSC's popular e-newsletter includes fraud prevention articles and links to tools featured on GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca. The newsletter helps Ontarians stay informed with topical articles, fraud red flags, educational resources, and investor alerts.
  
  

The mandate of the OSC is to provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, to foster fair, efficient and competitive capital markets and confidence in the capital markets, to foster capital formation, and to contribute to the stability of the financial system and the reduction of systemic risk. Investors are urged to check the registration of any persons or company offering an investment opportunity and to review the OSC investor materials available at http://www.osc.ca.

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SOURCE Ontario Securities Commission

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