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9 minute read Published on Aug 5, 2026 by BrokerLink Communications
Thousands of Canadians are victims of fraud every year. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), as of September 30, 2025, there were 23,113 reported victims of fraud and $544 million lost. However, the Canadian Government reports that only 5% to 10% of frauds are recorded. The reality is that fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, oftentimes using fake numbers, websites, pressure tactics and other methods to trick people out of their hard-earned money.
This guide will take you through how to spot red flags, understand common scamming techniques and how to take immediate steps to protect yourself. Quick summary:
Top scams: Government agency impersonation, bank/credit card fraud alerts, tech support calls, lottery scams and delivery/text message scams.
Red flags: Urgent payment demands, gift cards or crypto requests and a refusal to verify information.
Immediate actions: Hang up the phone, verify phone calls with official numbers and report suspicious activity.
Phone scams continue to affect everyday Canadians despite there being an influx of awareness campaigns and technological safeguards. Fraudsters nowadays can operate at relatively low costs to themselves with high scalability potential by using automated calls, spoofed numbers and fake caller IDs to contact thousands of people quickly. Here are some common tactics used by scammers:
Emotional manipulation: Emotional manipulation is an essential tactic used by fraudsters. The goal is to create urgency, fear and authority to pressure individuals into acting without verifying their remarks.
Data breaches and leaked information: Data breaches and leaked information add further fuel to the fire by providing fraudsters with valid phone numbers to make their calls seem legit. In Canada, these scams often leverage multiple languages like English, French and more to broaden their victim outreach.
Impersonation: Fraudsters also take advantage of victims by impersonating trusted institutions like the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), banks and even the RCMP. For example, the RCMP and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre have continued to issue warnings about phishing scams where fake delivery notices impersonate police officers before redirecting their victims to fake websites.
Important: Anyone can be a target of phone call scams and other fraud tactics. Scammers in 2026 adapt quickly, which is why education and awareness are essential.
Although numerous scams are operating throughout Canada, phone fraud tends to fall under the following categories:
An impersonation scam occurs when a caller pretends to be someone you would otherwise trust, like a government agency. This is also called phishing or social engineering. Callers may claim you owe money for taxes, state your benefits are about to be cancelled or that an arrest warrant has been issued. Let's dive deeper:
“This is the CRA. You owe money for unpaid taxes. A failure to pay today will result in legal action.”
Red flags to look out for include:
Demands that you immediately send money.
Threats of arrest.
Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers.
Important: The CRA and police will never demand payment or threaten arrest over the phone.
Fraudsters may also pretend to be from your bank’s fraud department, claiming that there has been suspicious activity on your bank account or in your transactions.
“We detected unusual activity on your bank account. Please confirm your PIN or one-time security code.”
Request for Personal Identification Number (PIN), password or verification codes.
Important: Banks will never ask for your full PIN or one-time codes over the phone. Always hang up and call the number on the back of your card for assistance.
With tech support scams, the caller may claim they are calling from your telephone company or computer company about your devices being infected with malware. They often pressure you to install remote-access software or pay for repairs over the phone.
“Your device is sending error signals. We need access to your interface immediately.”
Unsolicited tech calls.
Urgent tone of voice.
Instructions to install unknown software.
Important: Legitimate tech companies do not make unsolicited support calls, ever.
Scammers can claim you’ve missed scheduled deliveries, your phone account has been suspended or that you have overdue utility bills. These calls are often paired with follow-up text messages or emails that contain malicious links or download attachments.
“Your delivery is on hold. Confirm your information to avoid cancellation.”
Important: Couriers and phone carriers won’t demand personal information or payment over unsolicited calls.
Fraudsters may claim you have unexpected prize winnings or refunds available. They may also make urgent calls claiming that a loved one has been injured or is in trouble. Victims of these calls are then asked to act quickly and keep the phone call a secret.
“You’ve won $10,000. To claim your prize, provide your banking information and social insurance number over the phone.”
Asking for secrecy.
Emotional pressure.
Upfront fees.
Important: Legitimate prizes will never require payments and real emergencies can always be verified independently.
Smishing is a form of phishing conducted through SMS or messaging apps. Instead of calling you directly, scammers send text messages that appear to come from a trusted organization like your financial institution, delivery companies or government services. These messages are designed to prompt quick action before you have enough time to stop and verify them. Let's take a closer look:
Be wary of the following lures:
“Your package could not be delivered. Update your address.”
“Unusual activity has been detected on your account. Verify your information now.”
“You have a missed voicemail. Listen here.”
According to the Government of Canada, smishing text messages are on the rise, with many Canadians reporting multiple messages a week.
Criminals are now using QR codes to conduct what is known as quishing. The fake QR codes are placed on fake parking meters, restaurant menus or public signs. When a victim scans the QR code, they’ll be redirected to a credential-harvesting website or prompted to download a malicious file. Best practices:
Don’t tap links in unsolicited texts.
Open official apps or the website manually.
Treat QR codes with caution, especially in public spaces.
Caller ID spoofing occurs when scammers disguise their phone number to appear as local or impersonate a trusted organization like a bank, telecom provider or government agency. When a person sees a familiar area code or business name, it’s often that they lower their guard, which is exactly what criminals want.
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) recommends referencing their telemarketing call consumer alert page to remain aware of common telemarketing campaigns. Read on to learn more:
STIR/SHAKEN is a call authentication framework implemented by Canadian carriers to verify whether incoming calls are coming from an altered. Some phones may display labels like verified caller ID.
Keep in mind that STIR/SHAKEN doesn’t block scam calls. The bottom line is that if a caller creates urgency or asks for sensitive information, hang up and verify their claims independently.
When a suspicious call comes in, the most important thing you can do is slow down. Scammers rely on fear, urgency and authority to override your instincts. Here's what you should do:
Take a deep breath and ask yourself whether you were expecting a call and whether the request makes sense. If there’s a sense of urgency and demands are made, don’t be afraid to say no! If you feel uncomfortable, simply walk away or hang up the phone.
Don’t give out personal information. If you receive an unsolicited call, hang up if they ask for your:
Name
Address
Date of birth
Social insurance number
Banking or credit card information
Hang up the phone immediately. Don’t stay on the line to argue or gather information. Continued engagement can increase your risk. If the call is legitimate, you can reconnect to it using information you find on official websites.
Call back using a phone number from a trusted source like the back of your credit card, an official website or a secure app.
Use the following phrases:
“I won’t handle this over the phone.”
“I will contact you through official channels.”
“I am ending the call now.”
Remember, trust your gut. If something feels wrong, it probably is.
To reduce your chances of falling victim to phone scams, taking a few proactive steps is recommended. While nothing is foolproof, implementing multiple layers of protection will make it a lot harder for you to be a target. Take the following steps:
Begin with your most sensitive accounts, like your email, bank account and cloud storage:
Use strong, unique passwords for every account.
Enable two-factor authentication when possible.
Use a reputable password manager to generate and store your information securely.
Choose app-based authentication over SMS when possible, as your text messages may be vulnerable.
Nowadays, your phone isn’t solely used for communication; it’s also a key.
Keep your system software up to date.
Use a lock screen (password or biometric-protected).
Silence or filter calls from unknown numbers by updating your call settings.
Disable your voicemail greeting if possible to reduce the amount of information phone scammers have on you.
Ensure your personal information is secure:
Remove your phone number from public social media profiles.
Avoid posting contact details on the marketplace or job boards.
Private your accounts.
Always be cautious and set up security measures surrounding your banking information:
Turn on transaction and login alerts.
Set daily transfer limits.
Review your account information and activity regularly.
Mistakes can happen, even to those who are aware of phone scams and know what to watch out for. What matters the most in these types of situations is how quickly you respond. By taking the right steps early on, you can limit financial losses and identity theft:
Do the following:
If you gave a scammer your personal details like your name, address or date of birth, begin by monitoring your social and financial accounts.
Set up bank and credit card alerts.
Keep an eye out for any unauthorized transactions.
Consider placing a fraud alert with your credit bureau.
These types of situations require immediate action:
Change your passwords on the affected account right away.
Log out of active sessions on all devices.
Update your passwords on any other account using similar credentials.
Remember: Banks and government agencies will never ask for one-time verification codes over the phone.
Timely action is also required:
Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately.
Report the transaction as fraud.
Keep records of calls, receipts and payment details.
If you’re dealing with malware:
Disconnect your device from the internet.
Run security scans or perform a factory reset.
Seek professional support if needed.
Certain technology can help reduce the risk of scams, but it won’t entirely eliminate them:
Phone carrier protection: Most providers offer spam filtering and scam caller ID. Some will automatically block calls, while others flag suspicious activity.
Built-in phone features: Smartphones often come equipped with features like silence unknown callers, auto-block suspected spam calls and message filters from unknown senders.
Third-party apps: Some apps offer advanced filtering and call analysis. But keep in mind that these apps may ask for access to your call data.
Reporting attempted scams can help protect you and other Canadians. Here’s where you can report:
Canadian Government: Report phone, text, email and online scams at: https://reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca/
Your bank or credit card provider: Especially if financial information or money was shared with scammers.
Local police: If identity theft, extortion or financial loss has occurred.
Ensure you have the following information handy when you report:
Date and time of the call or message.
Phone number or sender ID.
Screenshots, links, voicemail recordings.
Payment details.
Certain demographics in Canada are targeted more often than others. Take a look:
Seniors: Scammers will exploit authority and urgency.
Newcomers to Canada: Fraudsters take advantage of those who are unfamiliar with Canadian systems, often impersonating immigration officials, the CRA or other service providers and taking advantage of language barriers.
Students: Job offer scams, fake tuition refunds and loan-related fraud are common for students to fall victim to.
Small businesses: Invoice fraud and fake vendor calls can target staff members of small businesses.
At BrokerLink, protecting our customers is more than a responsibility. It's our top priority. Whether you're shopping for insurance, managing your policy, or reaching out for support, you can trust that we're committed to keeping your information safe and secure.
Have questions or need assistance? Contact your local BrokerLink team today. We're here to help you protect what matters most, with the security and peace of mind you deserve.
