The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan about scams circulating that target wildfire evacuees. The messages claim to be from the Canadian Red Cross and request personal and banking information in order to process payments.

The Canadian Red Cross has issued a fraud alert regarding Manitoba and Saskatchewan wildfires advising that individuals eligible for financial assistance will NOT need to provide their social insurance number, bank account information or credit card number during their registration to receive assistance.

FCAA says the best way to protect yourself is to not answer or engage with unsolicited messages, don’t click on any links or attachments, never share personal information through email, phone, or text. And if you suspect you’ve been contacted by a scammer, reach out to your local police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre immediately.

FCAA lists scam red flags (email, phone and text)

• Emails coming from a domain that does not match the company.
• Unsolicited calls or texts from unknown numbers.
• Messages with spelling or grammar errors.
• Requests for personal or banking information.
• Pressure to act quickly.
• Too-good- to-be-true offers.
• Suspicious links and attachments.
• If you are unable to confirm the organization’s registration or licence.