Isn't the internet great? Emailing, streaming, videoconferencing and shopping. Giving a chunk of your nest egg away to someone pretending to be your long-lost uncle in Winnipeg. Wait, that one's not great at all. But it's happening more and more as online fraudsters up their games, targeting anyone who might fall victim. That's a tough pill, but one that with vigilance, you can avoid swallowing.

Between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025, Canadians lost to social media, website and email scams.

*Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre – Annual Reports and Statistics. RCMP Fraud Prevention Month releases.

Here are some of the many red flags to look for, along with tips for sidestepping the hoaxes:

Gotta-Haves: Scammers love to advertise enticing products. Should you purchase via their fake social platforms or websites, your items never arrive.

Bad Grammur: Fraud bait often includes typos and strange spellings in account names, bios or URLs. If you see any, consider yourself a proofreading pro. Then run.

False Protection: Someone claiming to be with a financial institution says one of your accounts has been compromised, and that you should transfer funds to a diferent account. Offering to guide you through the process, their goal is to drain you.

Heartstring Tuggs: Does someone you've recently met online seem eager to spark a friendship or romance? Have they said they're unable to connect in person, yet pleaded for money? Need we say more?

Be Stingy, Picky & Wise

Never provide your information to unknown third parties.

Limit who can see your profile information and posts on social platforms.

Work only with financial institutions that have fraud protection.

Update passwords routinely.

If you’re unsure someone or something is real, search the name online and include words like “scam” or “complaints”

Use multi-factor authentication for all your accounts.

Don’t use cryptocurrency, gift cards or other hard-to-trace payment methods.

To easily report a scam, report online.