By now, you or someone you know has likely been affected by cyber crime, or approached by a fraudster on the phone, online or through an email – and you’re not alone. Adding to this, scam artists are increasingly using artificial intelligence chatbots and deepfakes for their scams.
The most common crimes include investment fraud, unsolicited phishing emails from strangers, and efforts to get personal information from you like social insurance or credit card numbers, passwords or banking details.
Then there are “romance scams”, where a fraudster contacts potential victims on dating apps using fake AI pictures and identities to develop a relationship. Once gaining a victim’s trust, the fraudster tells a tale about needing money immediately for an emergency or a “get-rich-quick” scheme.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) says Canadians lost more than $647 million to fraud in 2024, and the problem gets worse every year. Even more troubling is that only five to 10 per cent of fraud actually gets reported.
“We can all help protect ourselves by watching for the red flags,” says Linda Annis, Executive Director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers. “Things like claims of investments with guaranteed high returns, pressure to commit quickly, and unanswered questions are signs that should make you think twice.
“We urge anyone with information about any fraud to call Crime Stoppers ANONYMOUSLY. Even if you don’t speak English well, Crime Stoppers has operators who accept tips around the clock in 115 languages including Punjabi, Hindi, Mandarin and Cantonese. We pass on the information you provide to the police, but never identify you. No one will ever know who you are.”
Anyone with information about crime can simply call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips are also accepted through Crime Stoppers’ downloadable “P3” smartphone app, or online at solvecrime.ca.
