SASKATCHEWAN — Fraudsters continue to develop their scamming skills as artificial intelligence (AI) offers more opportunities to target seniors more convincingly, even going as far as impersonating a loved one on a phone call. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), in 2024, more than $648 million was lost due to fraud in Canada, highlighting the continued need to fight against fraud through education and preparedness.
According to the CAFC, as of March 31, 2025, 12,816 fraud reports had been processed, with 9,092 victims of fraud, amounting to approximately $165 million lost. In 2024, there were 51,616 total reports processed, 36,199 fraud victims, and more than $648 million lost.
Fraudsters have been adapting to newer technologies as they become available to better their chances of defrauding individuals.
The Competition Bureau of Canada website explains that developments in AI technologies help fraudsters improve their old tricks, as the technology can quickly produce texts, emails, and messages in a specific language, tone, and style. AI is even being used to clone an individual’s voice, making it more difficult to tell what is real and what is being generated by AI.
The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) describes AI voice clone scams as those which impersonate either a loved one, a well-known public figure, or someone from a business or organization who urgently asks for money.
Common red flags that can signal a fraudster include strange phrasing or inconsistencies over the phone, irrelevant content, and unexpected phone calls or messages expressing a sense of urgency, fear, or panic.
To protect yourself and your loved ones from AI fraud and scams, the OSC recommends:
- Taking a breath and pausing
- Ask questions that only the individual claiming to call would know
- Utilize a special word or phrase to accurately identify one another
- If the number is not recognized, hang up, and call the person back using the number you know is theirs
- Practising on the online Scam Spotter Tool: https://www.getsmarteraboutmoney.ca/tools/scam-spotter-tool/
CAFC also stated that individuals can protect themselves by never giving out personal identifier information, including addresses, birthdates, Social Insurance Numbers (SIN), or any financial or banking information.
If you or someone you know is believed to be a victim of fraud, report the incident to your local police department as well as online to the CAFC here: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm#a1a, or Competition Bureau of Canada here: https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/contact-competition-bureau-canada/complaint-form.
