A crime victim is someone who suffers physical or emotional harm, property damage or economic loss due to a criminal act. Victims of a crime can be adults, children or young people. They can be victims of a violent crime or non-violent crimes, such as stalking, harassment, and financial fraud. There are also different types of victimizations, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse.
In Canada, victims of crime can exercise their rights under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights while the offence is being investigated or prosecuted and as the offender goes through the correctional or conditional release process. The rights under the Canadian Victims Bill of rights apply to all victims regardless of their race, color, sex, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, cultural beliefs or practices, property, birth or family status, nationality, ethnic or social origin and disability.
Many scams involve targeting international students and scholars by asking for money or information over the phone. Staying alert, and not leaving your electronics unattended will help prevent these kinds of incidents. Keep your cell phone in an inside jacket pocket rather than clipping it to your outer garments. Try to avoid walking or jogging alone and take safe routes in well-lit areas and avoid taking short cuts through parks after dark. Don’t be distracted while using your electronic devices and change the color of your earphones to something other than white since this usually indicates that you are carrying an Apple device which is a target for thieves.