5 most common scams affecting Canadians

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March is the Moon to prevent fraud and the five most common scams in Canada have been revealed.

In 2024, Canadians reported that they lost $ 642 million in fraud, according to the Canadian anti-fraud center. This far exceeded the previous record of $ 578 million in 2023. Many incidents are not reported.

Cyber ​​-activated fraud represented 75 % of the reported losses, reflecting the increasing refinement of online crime.

The anti-royal branch of the provincial police in Ontario and the serious fraud bureau has just launched the 2025 fraud prevention campaign, “Fraud masks”. The campaign aims to equip the Canadians with the information, tools and strategies they need to recognize, reject and report fraud.

“Fraud is constantly evolving, and our collective response must evolve with it,” said Mike Bickerton, the superintendent of the OPP detective. “Working with partners in the application of the law, the industry and the community, we strengthen the prevention of fraud, we support the victims and hold the responsible ones. The month of fraud prevention is an opportunity for everyone to learn how to recognize fraud signs and take action to protect themselves and others. “

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center said that the five most frequent frauds in 2024 were:

investment

An investment scam is a request for investments in fake or misleading investment opportunities. These opportunities falsely promise greater than normal yields. However, investors lose their most or all money.

Canadians lost $ 310 million in investment scams in 2024. The victims of Ontario reported that they lost over $ 102.7 million.

Spear phishing

Phishing cheaters in the spear involve scams who are pretending to be from legitimate sources to convince companies or individuals to send them money. These scams use the relationships between the person who receives the Em mail and the person who sends it. The sender’s address seems to be the real E -mail address of the source that they pretend to be, a tactic known as spoofing.

This scam represented $ 67.2 million in losses reported in 2024. The victims of Ontario reported that they lost over $ 39.5 million.

Romance

A scam convinces an person to enter a virtual, online relationship to gain confidence and affection. This can occur through E -mail messages and fake profiles on social networks and meeting sites.

Finally, the scam can ask for money for travel, a medical emergency or a family assistance – making it look urgent or as an emergency. They can also ask a victim to receive money for them – doing this, we could commit, without knowing, a crime; to join a business business with them; or invest in cryptocurrency

Romantic fraud represented $ 58.4 million in losses reported in 2024. The victims of Ontario reported that they lost over $ 19 million.

Scam

Using the names of real companies in Canada, fraudsters Give victims independent work opportunities. In some cases, the victim installs software and creates an account, receive “orders” or “tasks” that they must complete. The victims could receive a small payment or commission to convince them that the job is legitimate. Victims deposit funds in accounts or crypto wallets. They will see funds in their crypto account, but they will not have the ability to withdraw the funds they submitted and won.

In other cases, the scammers train a victim to deposit a check and withdraw some of the funds. Then the victim is guided to deposit the money in a specific bank account to pay taxes. At this moment, the victim learns that the check is counterfeit.

The cheating of the post represented $ 47.1 million in losses reported in 2024. The victims of Ontario reported that they lost over $ 14.8 million.

EXTORSION

The extortion happens when someone illegally obtains money, properties or services from a person, entity or institution by coercion. At the end of 2024, the anti-fraud center received reports on extortion letters sent by e-mail. EXTRERSION letters have your full name, personal phone number, personal residential address and screenshot from search engines. The letter claims that you have visited explicit web sites and threatens to send a copy of a video on your contact list, unless you pay them using cryptocurrency. Some letters can also use a Qr Code.

The fraud in the extortion represented $ 21 million in losses reported in 2024. The victims of Ontario reported that they lost over $ 6.8 million.

For more information on fraud prevention, visit Canadian anti-fraud center or OPP.ca.

If you suspect or have been a victim, report it to the Local Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center at 1-888-495-8501, or online through Fraud reporting system.

Lead photo: Tim Gouw

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