A senior from Vaudreuil, Quebec, is poised to lose her home after losing over $50,000 earlier this year due to a scam.
Diane Riley, an 89-year-old woman who lives in an assisted living facility with her two special needs children, received a phone call in February from someone pretending to work for an “anti-fraud squad,” CTV News reported.
Riley was told her bank account was compromised and that someone was coming to collect her bank cards. But, soon after, she realized she was out five figures and her rent cheques were bouncing.
In response, her family has started a fundraiser to help Riley get back on her feet financially.
Unfortunately, however, stories like Riley’s aren’t uncommon for older Canadians across the country.
Scammers in Canada targeting seniors
According to the Canadian Government, seniors are the most targeted demographic in Canada when it comes to fraud. This is partly due to the fact that seniors are at home throughout the day and are able to answer their phones or door regularly.
To their detriment, seniors can also be more trusting or may not have anyone with them to give a second opinion on a stranger’s request.
Common types of fraud committed against seniors include identity theft, credit or debit card fraud, online scams, phone scams and door-to-door scams.
Fraud continues to grow in Canada at alarming rates with technology like AI becoming more commonplace, even though only 5% to 10% of all fraud cases are reported according to data from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) published by Competition Bureau Canada.
The CAFC notes how Canadians lost a staggering $638 million to fraud in 2024. Losses reported to the CAFC since 2021 are now over $2 billion, and impersonation fraud (the type of fraud Riley fell prey to) is one of the fastest growing types.
Advice seniors — and their loved ones — need to know
It may seem frightening to hear statistics about fraud in Canada ballooning over the past couple of years. Thankfully, there are a number of tips seniors can use to keep themselves safe, according to the RCMP.
- Never release personal details without verification. Even if your caller ID shows your bank or financial institution, never give out your personal information without identifying the caller personally first. In some cases, this may mean calling your bank directly and confirming they did contact you in the first place.
- Confirm any relative’s whereabouts before acting hastily. Some impersonation schemes involve a caller pretending to be a loved one in distress. If this happens, hang up and immediately call the person in question to confirm their location and the legitimacy of the call.
- Ask hard questions. In many cases, a bank or other institution would never ask you for personal details they already have on file. Asking the caller questions like these will reveal the facade quickly.
For loved ones who have a senior in their lives they are concerned about, help educate them on these tips to empower them to deal with bad actors. Never assume what is common sense to you is the same for your parents or grandparents.
What to do if you fall victim
If you fall victim to a convincing impersonation scam like Riley did, don’t panic. The Ontario Provincial Police recommends you collect all documentation on the incident as quickly as you can. Once that’s ready, call the police and report your case to the CAFC by calling 1-888-495-8501.
Following that, call all the financial institutions that may be affected, such as your bank and investment brokers. If you believe your personal information is at risk (e.g. SIN) ask your bank to have flags placed on your accounts and change your passwords on all your personal accounts. Once this is done, immediately report the incident to both credit bureaus (Equifax and TransUnion).
In terms of getting your money back, there’s a chance your bank may reimburse you if you followed all proper security measures. Otherwise, you may be out of luck aside from pursuing a lawsuit, which is admittedly a difficult route given how stealthy scammers can be.
In any event, whether you are a recent victim of fraud or worried about someone taking advantage of you, talk to your loved ones and financial experts. They’re there to help.
Sources
1. CTV News: Family throws fundraiser for Montreal senior scammed out of $50,000, by Swidda Rassy (Aug 28, 2025)
2. Government of Canada: What every older Canadian should know about: Fraud and scams (May 7, 2025)
3. Government of Canada: Fraud Prevention Month to focus on impersonation fraud, one of the fastest growing forms of fraud (Feb 28, 2025)
4. RCMP: Seniors’ guidebook to safety and security
5. Ontario Provincial Police Fraud (Mar 4, 2025)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.