The month of March marks Fraud Prevention Month across the country, an annual campaign to prevent Canadians from becoming the next fraud victim.
Members of Southern Georgian Bay OPP and other detachments across the region are partnering with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) to raise awareness for locals.
This year’s focus, according to the CAFC and OPP, is impersonation fraud, which is one of the fastest growing forms of fraud thanks to AI becoming a more common tool for fraudsters to trick their victims.
“Fraudsters are using sophisticated technology to create scams that feel more real than ever,” said Matthew Boswell, the CAFC’s commissioner of competition, in a media release on Friday. “It’s important for Canadians to trust their instincts and question unexpected calls or messages. The more we learn about their tactics, the less chance criminals have to defraud us.”
The CAFC defines impersonation fraud as suspects posing as trusted organizations, websites or another person to steal a person’s finances or identity.
The CAFC states that Canadians lost $638 million to fraud in 2024, and that reported losses since 2021 have surpassed $2 billion.
On the other hand, the CAFC adds that despite the increased financial losses, the rate of reported frauds remains between 5 to 10 per cent, which they consider to be low.
This year’s Fraud Prevention Month campaign aims to continue helping Canadians recognize, reject and report fraud.
