March of 2026 is Fraud Awareness Month, a chance for police, government and agencies to raise wariness of clever criminal attempts to part you from your money.

Like John Mellencamp I am a small town person. I was born and raised in a small town and that is where I feel comfortable. However, just because I’m small town doesn’t mean I’m a sucker or that I live with my head in the sand; a surprising number of my small town neighbours think fraud is only something that happens in big cities.

Case in point: RCMP K Division this past week issued a press release describing brazen attempts to rip off Albertans in a manner that some people might assume must be genuine because it was so blunt. “RCMP received five similar reports where victims were approached in business parking lots in Sherwood Park by unknown suspects using various distraction techniques in an attempt to steal items,” stated RCMP.

I can think of two similar instances that happened to me, once in a nearby city and once right here in Stettler.

A few years ago I was shopping at a Red Deer department store, and was returning to my car with purchases. As I was walking to my vehicle, a young lady in jeans walked up to me and asked if I was interested in a deal. I responded to the effect, what the heck are you talking about? She responded that she was an employee of the department store and she was assigned to walk around the parking lot selling wristwatches to people. She offered to show me the watches. Being a journalist (and remember, as noted above, I’m not a sucker either) I observed, “You’re not wearing a uniform from the department store and the watches you’re peddling aren’t in packages. Are you sure you want to keep up this act?” She quickly came back with, “Oh, well, yes, I certainly work for the store, this is all genuine merchandise.” I told her I wasn’t interested and went on my merry way. As soon as I was able I contacted the department store and told them a fraudster was peddling junk or stolen property in their parking lot and they assured me they never have staff walking around the parking lot peddling wares out of a suitcase.

Just about two years ago I arrived at a Stettler-area gas station and parked next to a pump, got out and prepared to take care of business when a woman from a silver minivan accosted me and said she needed to get her kids to school and she had no money to buy fuel. Could I give her some money? If memory serves, I believe she asked for $40. Again, as I’m a journalist and not a sucker, the term “fraudster” jumped into my head. It’s just my opinion but I don’t think a Stettler mom would sit at a gas station and beg for money from strangers. If she was from Stettler, I’m sure she must have a spouse, family or friends who could help out. I tend to trust my gut instinct too and I simply got a very strange, uneasy feeling from “Mom.” I turned her down by saying unfortunately my last $40 had to go in my own gas tank. As I recall, she became rather curt with me because of it.

Conmen and fraudsters often prey on a normal person’s compassion and sense of decency to rip them off. If readers only keep one thing in mind from reading this column, it’s this: it’s okay to walk away from a situation you don’t trust and never asked for. If you’re accosted in a parking lot by a stranger asking for money, turn them down. Save your money and spend it on your family and friends, donate it to charity but please don’t give it away to a fraudster.

Stu Salkeld is a multimedia journalist who works for the Rural Alberta Report. You can contact him at stewartsalkeld7@gmail.com.