Manitoba RCMP is gearing up for March, with an emphasis on education for fraud prevention.

According to RCMP, frauds cost Manitobans possibly several million dollars annually.

Scammers prey on the most vulnerable on the Internet, those who may not be as familiar with it than others, says RCMP Media Relations Officer, Sgt. Paul Manaigre.

He says the best defence is continued education.

"These people are out to make money, and they won't stop till they get as much as they can. Most of the time the perpetrators of these types of crimes are out of the country, so they're out of reach from our laws in Canada, so we have to make sure we educate people here."

That's why March is Fraud Prevention Month says Manaigre, it's an opportunity for RCMP to remind Manitobans to be vigilant when dealing with opportunities that seem too good to be true, or if you've received a windfall notice saying you have to pay fees or give banking information, as these are most likely scams.

Frauds are becoming increasingly reliant on digital technology says Manaigre, this means people need to remain cognizant, updating passwords regularly on websites they frequent and being cautious when opening suspicious e-mails. 

With the tax season underway, Manaigre says Canada Revenue scams are likely to appear. He reminds residents that the Canada Revenue Agency does not send e-mails requesting money; if they do reach out, it's through a letter in the mail.

If you do become a victim of a scam, Manaigre encourages you to contact your local authority as quickly as possible.

"Notify your local police so that we can keep track of it. We can't always locate these people or solve it, but we need to be aware of what's out there."

People can also go to the Anti-Fraud Centre website, where the data will be entered and reviewed on a national level, helping combat frauds across the country.