Recorded on: January 30, 2024
Length: 60 minutes
Summary
Aaron Guillen of the Better Business Bureau and lawyer Lauren Liang answer common questions about avoiding and dealing with scams and identity theft in British Columbia.
Highlights
In this webinar, you will learn:
What the Better Business Bureau is and the role it plays in helping the average person with scams and identity theft. [3:15]
Common scams to watch out for. [5:50]
Telltale signs of a scam. [9:20]
What amounts to identity theft. [15:05]
Information to protect against identity theft. [17:00]
What groups of people are more at risk than others of being scammed. [20:20]
The first thing you should do if you think you’ve been scammed. [22:10]
Options to consider if you bought goods online that were defective and the seller ignores your attempts to reach them. [23:46]
Whether you must pay when your credit card is stolen and used to make unauthorized purchases. [27:40]
Whether a lawsuit is a viable way to get your money back if you get tricked into donating money to a fake charity. [30:05]
When you should report a scam to the Better Business Bureau and what they can do to help. [35:05]
When to commence a legal action against a scammer. [37:30]
How to protect yourself against scammers who use technology to impersonate people over video and audio calls. [41:10]
Steps to take if your email is discovered on the dark web. [45:10]
The process to report a scam and seek help. [46:30]
How to prevent spam text messages and calls. [48:05]
What to do when your credit card has been hacked several times and your credit card company and bank won’t help. [50:30]
How to protect your personal computer and other devices. [51:25]
Whether you can encourage legislation to make scamming more difficult. [53:15]
Steps to take if your cellphone is stolen. [54:30]
Featuring
Aaron Guillen
Aaron Guillen is the Media and Communications Specialist with the Better Business Bureau. On behalf of BBB, he presents to different community groups, including high school students, college classes, Rotary groups, RCMP & police, and senior groups using data collected from BBB branches across North America.
Lauren Liang
Lauren Liang is a lawyer with Clark Wilson in Vancouver who specializes in fraud and asset recovery, estates and trusts, and strata property law. She brings extensive international business experience to her legal practice, offering a unique understanding of her clients’ perspectives and concerns. She has successfully litigated in all levels of court and is sought out to resolve disputes involving international elements.
Attendee feedback
“Excellent presentation. Very helpful. All the presenters were very personable.”
“Thank you for allowing us to sit in on this presentation. Very well put together and presented. Clear and helpful information.”
“The host Paula kept the webinar moving at a great pace and was extremely professional. Both guests Lauren and Aaron had great presentations and answered all questions very well.”
“Thank you so much for such an informative and fruitful session. Loved it. Kudos to you all.”
"I look forward to your webinars. In this time when there are so many scams, I’m 76 years young, I feel it necessary to keep learning about how to protect myself and I am very appreciative for People’s Law School! 🙏"
“Wonderfully informative guests and great moderation. Always good here. Thank you.”
“Continue what you are doing! I live in a remote community so access to this information is extremely beneficial and appreciated.”
Additional resources
From People’s Law School:
From the Better Business Bureau:
BBB Scam Tracker to report or look up a scam
BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report to learn about the riskiest scams
BBB office serving Mainland BC & Yukon for local events and contact info
Request a presentation from the BBB for your community group