Top 10 Scams in Canada and How to Spot Them

Learn about common deceptions so you can stay safe and feel confident navigating online.

By Sarah Laing

Strong passwords and multi-factor authentication can help protect against online fraud. | VIDEO: PRESSMASTER/ENVATO. ICONS: COURTESY OF GOOGLE ICONS

Scams are on the rise: during the first nine months of 2025, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 33,854 fraud reports that added up to over $544M stolen by fraudsters.

The good news? Information is power — and there are things you can do right now to keep your money and your personal info safe.

“If I could convince Canadians to do one thing overnight, it would be this: lock down your accounts before criminals even try to break in,” says cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa. “Everything else — careful clicking, scrutinizing emails, avoiding urgency traps — becomes much easier when your digital doors are already reinforced.”

It’s why his number one tip is to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA). This protects your information by requiring you to authenticate yourself in two or more ways. For example, you may be asked to enter a one-time code sent via text before you can log in with your password.

“It protects you even if your password is leaked, guessed or phished,” Popa explains. “It makes you a far less appealing target because criminals prefer the path of least resistance.”

Here are the top 10 most common scams — and the expert-approved ways you can avoid their tricks.

Icon: a fishing hook.
Icon: telephone.
Icon: a punch clock.
Icon: a person’s face. They are wearing a headset.
Icon: a computer browser with a window pop-up on the screen.

SCROLL THROUGH EACH SLIDE TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THESE SCAMS.

Phishing scams

Ever get a text from a random number demanding you click a link to pay a speeding fine in a place you may have never been? Or maybe an email allegedly from your bank, asking you to click a link to prevent your accounts from being frozen? That was probably a phishing scam. Text scams and email phishing scams are more common than ever. “They often use urgency — ‘Your account will be closed!’ — to provoke panic,” says Popa. “Never click on unexpected links. Go directly to the official website or app.” He adds that these phishing attempts are increasingly coming via social media like Facebook, Instagram and even WhatsApp. “These messages often impersonate friends, businesses or the social media platforms themselves, and use the same psychological triggers as email scams: urgency, curiosity or fear,” he says. “The rule is simple: unexpected messages with links or requests should always be treated with skepticism and verified outside the platform.” Whatever the delivery system, these deceptions are also looking slicker thanks to generative AI, which makes it easier for scammers to create convincing-looking messages. It is important to remain vigilant: always pause and approach unfamiliar texts and emails skeptically.

Click here to learn more about cybersecurity and how to stay safe online.

Click here

Phone scams

Your phone rings, and the call display says it’s your bank. You pick up, and the person on the other end says they’ve spotted potential fraud on your account. Before you go any further, pause: it might be a phone scammer trying to get sensitive personal information from you.

“Phone numbers are surprisingly easy to obtain. They’re harvested from data breaches, leaked customer databases, social media profiles, online forms and even auto-dialled at random,” says Popa. “Once a number responds — even by answering — it’s often marked as ‘active’ and resold to other scam groups.”

Personally, he says that he never answers a number he doesn’t recognize — and takes the extra step of blocking the caller. “Not answering is still the best we can do,” he says.

If you do receive a spam call, he encourages you to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. “Reporting helps law enforcement identify patterns and shut down large-scale operations, even if the individual call can’t be traced,” Popa says.

Click here

Fake job scams

Often claiming you can make money while working from home, these deceptions — delivered via text, email or even fake job postings — will hire you fast, usually with no actual conversation or interview. Then they might ask you to buy equipment, which you will never be reimbursed for. They may also ask you to cash fake cheques. A legitimate business will never ask you to front money on their behalf. Do not respond to the message and do not click on any of the links or buttons.

Click here

CRA scams

This phone scam involves someone impersonating the Canada Revenue Agency, claiming you owe the government money — and if you don’t pay, you could go to jail. Popa says that if they’re asking for payment via gift card, it’s definitely not the government. Expect a phone call from the CRA only after they have reached out via mail or your online portal regarding specific issues like overdue balances, unfiled returns or active audits. To stay safe, always hang up and call an official CRA number if a caller demands immediate payment. (Note: you may also receive an automated call from CRA, which only gives a message and does not include or ask for personal taxpayer information.)

This is an example of what Popa calls a “forced frame,” in which scammers spring something on you and pressure you to react in the moment.

“Sadly, seniors and new Canadians tend to be disproportionately targeted, as they can be more readily pressured by creating anxiety,” Popa says. “A good internal test is: ‘Am I deciding what to do, or is someone else telling me what my next step must be?’”

Click here

Tech support scams

An ominous window pops up on your computer claiming that you’ve got a virus and the only way to fix it is pay up by giving someone remote access to your device. Fraudsters might also cold call you, claiming a similar tech emergency. No real tech company will ever just “call you out of the blue,” says Popa. To escape a fake-virus swindle, avoid clicking any buttons on the deceptive page and force-close your browser. When you reopen the browser, ensure you do not restore your previous tabs so the scam site remains blocked.

Click here

Online marketplace scams

This is where someone sells you something online — via Facebook Marketplace or a similar online platform — and takes your money, but disappears when it’s time to give you the item you bought. Popa says you can steer clear of this by never paying someone before they hand over the goods. For high-value items, many local police stations (or nearby provincial police detachments) have buy-and-sell safe zones where these items can be exchanged safely.

Click here

Real estate scams

You find the perfect apartment via online research; you pay the deposit — and then the person you thought you were renting from vanishes. That’s because they never owned the place in the first place. Popa advises always seeing a property in person.

Click here

Get-rich-quick scams

Whether it’s crypto or an unmissable investment opportunity, scammers — who might contact you via email, text or by posting on social media — love to try to take your money by promising they can make you money. If it seems too good to be true, Popa says, it probably is. “If it’s high reward and no risk, it’s a scam,” he says. “Do your due diligence.”

Click here

Prize scams

“You’ve won the jackpot,” an email might say about a lottery draw you don’t remember entering. The only catch is that you need to pay a fee before you can claim your winnings. “If you didn’t enter, you didn’t win,” advises Popa — and never pay anything to claim a prize.

Click here

Grandparent scams

There’s the so-called “grandparent scam,” where fraudsters call you up pretending to be a grandchild who’s in trouble and needs you to send them money urgently. Before you get pressured into sending a wire transfer or buying gift cards to get your grandchild out of jail, hospital or an airport where they’re stranded, hang up and reach out on your own to loved ones to independently verify that it really is them.

Click here
Icon: a storefront.
Icon: a hand facing up with a building above.
Icon: a bag of money.
Icon: gift box.
Icon: gift card.

Equipped with these insights — and by remaining alert — you’ll be prepared for any unwanted interactions that may come your way. CAA

CAA AND PHISHING ATTEMPTS

As an organization, CAA is not immune to phishing scam attempts. Hackers have recently sent spam emails to Members — complete with seemingly accurate branding and logo details — claiming to be from CAA. The email asks the Member to take a quick survey for “an exclusive opportunity” to receive a Winter Safety Kit, which includes essentials for your vehicle. All you need to do, the email states, is click on the “Claim Your Safety Kit” button. But the email in no way originated from CAA. This is a scam. And its goal is to infringe on your privacy. If you receive such a spam email, do not click the link.

Click here to learn more about how to protect yourself from phishing.

Two examples of fraudulent emails being sent to CAA Members, in an attempt to scam them with the promise of an emergency car kit.

These are examples of email scams. They are not from CAA.

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A row of five icons: a fishing hook; a telephone; a punch clock; a person’s face, wearing a headset; a computer browser with window pop-up on the screen.
A row of five icons: a storefront; a hand facing up with a building above it; a bag of money; a gift box; a gift card.

SCROLL THROUGH EACH SLIDE TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THESE SCAMS.

SCROLL THROUGH THE COMMON SCAMS TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

Phishing scams

Ever get a text from a random number demanding you click a link to pay a speeding fine in a place you may have never been? Or maybe an email allegedly from your bank, asking you to click a link to prevent your accounts from being frozen? That was probably a phishing scam. Text scams and email phishing scams are more common than ever. “They often use urgency — ‘Your account will be closed!’ — to provoke panic,” says Popa. “Never click on unexpected links. Go directly to the official website or app.” He adds that these phishing attempts are increasingly coming via social media like Facebook, Instagram and even WhatsApp. “These messages often impersonate friends, businesses or the social media platforms themselves, and use the same psychological triggers as email scams: urgency, curiosity or fear,” he says. “The rule is simple: unexpected messages with links or requests should always be treated with skepticism and verified outside the platform.” Whatever the delivery system, these deceptions are also looking slicker thanks to generative AI, which makes it easier for scammers to create convincing-looking messages. It is important to remain vigilant: always pause and approach unfamiliar texts and emails skeptically.

Click here to learn more about cybersecurity and how to stay safe online.

Click here

Phone scams

Your phone rings, and the call display says it’s your bank. You pick up, and the person on the other end says they’ve spotted potential fraud on your account. Before you go any further, pause: it might be a phone scammer trying to get sensitive personal information from you.

“Phone numbers are surprisingly easy to obtain. They’re harvested from data breaches, leaked customer databases, social media profiles, online forms and even auto-dialed at random,” says Popa. “Once a number responds — even by answering — it’s often marked as ‘active’ and resold to other scam groups.”

Personally, he says that he never answers a number he doesn’t recognize — and takes the extra step of blocking the caller. “Not answering is still the best we can do,” he says.

If you do receive a spam call, he encourages you to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. “Reporting helps law enforcement identify patterns and shut down large-scale operations, even if the individual call can’t be traced,” Popa says.

Click here

Fake job scams

Often claiming you can make money while working from home, these deceptions — delivered via text, email or even fake job postings — will hire you fast, usually with no actual conversation or interview. Then they might ask you to buy equipment, which you will never be reimbursed for. They may also ask you to cash fake cheques. A legitimate business will never ask you to front money on their behalf. Do not respond to the message and do not click on any of the links or buttons.

Click here

CRA scams

This phone scam involves someone impersonating the Canada Revenue Agency, claiming you owe the government money — and if you don’t pay, you could go to jail. Popa says that if they’re asking for payment via gift card, it’s definitely not the government. Expect a phone call from the CRA only after they have reached out via mail or your online portal regarding specific issues like overdue balances, unfiled returns or active audits. To stay safe, always hang up and call an official CRA number if a caller demands immediate payment. (Note: you may also recieve an automated call from CRA, which only gives a message and does not include or ask for personal taxpayer information.)

This is an example of what Popa calls a “forced frame,” in which scammers spring something on you and pressure you to react in the moment.

“Sadly, seniors and new Canadians tend to be disproportionately targeted, as they can be more readily pressured by creating anxiety,” Popa says. “A good internal test is: ‘Am I deciding what to do, or is someone else telling me what my next step must be?’”

Click here

Tech support scams

An ominous window pops up on your computer claiming that you’ve got a virus and the only way to fix it is pay up by giving someone remote access to your device. Fraudsters might also cold call you, claiming a similar tech emergency. No real tech company will ever just “call you out of the blue,” says Popa. To escape a fake-virus swindle, avoid clicking any buttons on the deceptive page and force-close your browser. When you reopen the browser, ensure you do not restore your previous tabs so the scam site remains blocked.

Click here

Online marketplace scams

This is where someone sells you something online — via Facebook Marketplace or a similar online platform — and takes your money, but disappears when it’s time to give you the item you bought. Popa says you can steer clear of this by never paying someone before they hand over the goods. For high-value items, many local police stations (or nearby provincial police detachments) have buy-and-sell safe zones where these items can be exchanged safely.

Click here

Real estate scams

You find the perfect apartment via online research; you pay the deposit — and then the person you thought you were renting from vanishes. That’s because they never owned the place in the first place. Popa advises always seeing a property in person.

Click here

Get-rich-quick scams

Whether it’s crypto or an unmissable investment opportunity, scammers — who might contact you via email, text or by posting on social media — love to try to take your money by promising they can make you money. If it seems too good to be true, Popa says, it probably is. “If it’s high reward and no risk, it’s a scam,” he says. “Do your due diligence.”

Click here

Prize scams

“You’ve won the jackpot,” an email might say about a lottery draw you don’t remember entering. The only catch is that you need to pay a fee before you can claim your winnings. “If you didn’t enter, you didn’t win,” advises Popa — and never pay anything to claim a prize.

Click here

Grandparent scams

There’s the so-called “grandparent scam,” where fraudsters call you up pretending to be a grandchild that’s in trouble and needs you to send them money urgently. Before you get pressured into sending a wire transfer or buying gift cards to get your grandchild out of jail, hospital or an airport where they’re stranded, hang up and reach out on your own to loved ones to independently verify that it really is them.

Click here