Be Scam Savvy

The constant flow of news and social media can feel overwhelming, making it hard to tell what’s accurate. Meanwhile, misinformation, AI-driven scams, and rising fraud, identity theft, and cybercrime are impacting more Canadians than ever.

New AI-powered scams are on the rise

Here’s how to protect yourself:

• Phishing remains one of the most common scams, and AI is making it harder to spot. Advanced tools can now create polished, personalized messages by pulling details from social media (like your job, family, or even your home address) to make scams feel real. AI also helps criminals send convincing messages at scale.
  • Tip: Watch for red flags—requests for money, suspicious links or attachments, and mismatched email addresses. Your bank will never ask for passwords, one-time codes, or card numbers. As scams evolve, stay alert and trust your instincts. As scams evolve, stay alert and trust your instincts.
    
    
• Untraceable Content: AI can now generate original images and videos that won’t appear in reverse image searches like TinEye or Google Lens, making them harder to verify. These realistic visuals can fuel scams, fake profiles, spoofed websites, and disinformation campaigns.
  
  • Tip: Still, AI content isn’t flawless. Look for distorted or missing details, odd shadows, unnatural movements, blurring, or AI watermarks. If something feels off or too good to be true, verify the source before trusting it. See the resources section below.
    
    
• The rise of vishing scams: When scammers call pretending to be trusted organizations or people to steal money or personal information. AI now makes these scams more convincing by cloning real voices - even those of family or friends. In Canada, reports of AI-driven vishing scams are rising, especially targeting older adults. Scammers may fake a loved one’s voice in distress to pressure victims into sending money or sharing sensitive details.
  • Tip: If you get an urgent call like this, stay calm and verify the story through another trusted contact method. Remember, no legitimate law enforcement or government agency in Canada will demand money or sensitive information over the phone.

Source: How cyber criminals are using artificial intelligence (AI) for online threats- Government of Canda

Disinformation vs. Misinformation

Disinformation: is fake or misleading stories that are created and shared on purpose. It often comes with a personal, financial or political benefit.

Misinformation: is fake or misleading information that was not created or shared with the intent to mislead someone. 

Some tips to help you spot misinformation and disinformation include: 

• Identifying the source and who is sharing the content 
• What type of content is it? Is it actual news or an ad?  
• See who else is reporting the story or content 
• Why is the content being shared 
• Trusting your gut. If what you are reading or seeing affects your emotions, it could be a sign that something is not right.

Fraud, identity crimes and cybercrime are rapidly impacting an increasing proportion of Canadians. Learn more on how to identify and protect yourself against frauds and scams, along with the latest happening in the news.

Resources:

• Snopes - Media Fact Checker
• Online Disinformation - Government of Canada
• Tip Sheet: How to tell what's true online - Media Smarts