This March marks the 13th anniversary of Fraud Prevention Month, a campaign to recognize, reject, and report fraud.

The campaign is led by the Competition Bureau of the federal government, and they team up with eighty law enforcement agencies and different public and private organizations to carry out numerous events and activities across Canada to speak about the impact of fraud.

Here are some tips from the federal government on how to protect yourself against fraud:

- Don't be fooled by the promise of a valuable prize in return for a low-cost purchase.

- Be cautious of calls offering international bonds or lottery tickets, free vacations, credit repair, or schemes with unlimited income potential.

- Don't be afraid to hang up the phone, delete the email, or close your Internet connection.

- Don't purchase a product or service without carefully checking it first.

- Don't be afraid to request further documentation from the caller so you can verify the validity of the company.

- Don't disclose personal information.

- Shred any unwanted personal information such as old tax returns, bank statements, credit card bills, unwanted receipts, or cheques.

- Check your credit report every year and report problems immediately.

- If a scam artist ever tries to contact you, report it.

For more information, visit the Fraud Prevention Portal HERE.