March 5, 2025
Thousands of Canadians are victims of fraud every year, yet fraud shame is still common. We look at how to remove it here.
Fraud victims often face blame and criticism, even though fraud is the most common crime in Canada. Many think victims are to blame for not taking the proper precautions. Instead of getting support, victims often find themselves grappling with additional layers of shame and doubt and debt as a result. This leads to what’s known as “fraud shame.”
It's important to remember that falling victim to fraud doesn't mean someone is at fault or gullible. Fraudsters are very good at tricking people and constantly evolving their tactics, and they target anyone, whether they are cautious or not. It is imperative to challenge these preconceptions and provide a supportive environment for fraud victims to come forward and seek justice without fear of judgment.
There are more than 50 common kinds of scams that are currently targeting Canadians, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).
These include:
There were 34,621 victims of fraud and over $600 million dollars lost to fraud in 2024, according to CAFC.
Nearly half of Canadians (43%) admit to having been knowingly victimized by fraud or scams at some point in their lives, according to a poll done on behalf of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.
This same poll found that while 91% of fraud victims have told someone about being scammed, only 27% have spoken to a family member about it. That was also the case of telling friends, where only 22% said they had discussed it with them.
Despite being the most common crime in Canada, fraud is vastly unreported. The CFAC estimates that less than 5% of fraud crimes are actually reported to law enforcement, this is likely due to the shame people feel after realizing that they’ve been scammed.
People often connect shame to fraud, mistakenly believing that victims could have avoided it if they were smarter or more cautious. There’s this idea that falling for scams means you’re not intelligent, which is simply untrue but unfortunately quite widespread.
It’s important to realize that fraud tactics have become highly sophisticated in today’s digital age. Scammers use advanced techniques that can easily deceive even the most careful individuals.
Fraudsters are very good at getting people to reveal personal information or send money by using psychological tactics.
The Canadian Competition Bureau points to some of these tactics, noting that fraudsters will imply that a person should:
Being a victim of fraud has nothing to do with intelligence; it’s about criminals exploiting vulnerabilities and using sophisticated tactics to manipulate people.
Fraud doesn’t just cause emotional distress; it also leaves victims grappling with significant financial consequences. Scammers often drain bank accounts, rack up credit card debt, or steal personal information to open unauthorized loans. Victims face the immediate loss of funds, and in some cases, must navigate complicated processes to recover their money, if recovery is even possible.
Financial fraud can also harm a victim’s credit score. Fraudulent activity, such as unpaid debts tied to identity theft, may appear on credit reports, making it harder for victims to qualify for loans, mortgages, or even rental agreements. Restoring a damaged credit score can take months or years and often requires persistence in disputing fraudulent transactions with financial institutions and credit bureaus.
We all need to admit that fraud can happen to anyone, regardless of age, education, or background. It's crucial to shift our mindset from blaming victims to offering support and understanding.
We need to acknowledge that fraudsters are skilled at deception, often exploiting trust and familiarity to perpetrate scams. Blaming victims for believing in the goodness of others or falling for well-crafted schemes is not the right way to look at fraud.
No one wakes up and willingly decides to send money to someone they believe to be a fraudster. In the case of a romance scam, it often happens through a slow grooming process where the victim's emotions are played on, and they are lured into a false sense of security.
We should have contempt for the con artists and compassion for the conned.
Generating awareness about the realities of fraud and dispelling misconceptions is essential to removing the stigma. By openly discussing the prevalence and mechanisms of fraud, we can foster empathy and understanding.
It’s crucial to shift the blame away from victims onto the criminals that perpetrate these types of crimes.
There are some simple tips that can help anyone avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
There are some common ones we all know, including having different passwords for each account, not sharing your PIN for any of your debit or credit cards or not sharing personal details publicly on the internet.
Also avoid responding to any texts or phone calls from an unknown number.
Perhaps the most important way to avoid falling victim to a financial fraud is to never send money to anyone you have not met in person. This is especially true for online romance scams which can go on for months before you are asked to help someone out financially. Scams like this can cost victims thousands of dollars and be especially emotionally devastating.
If something feels off or too good to be true, trust your gut instincts. Fraudsters often use high-pressure tactics or promises of unrealistic gains to manipulate individuals. Take the time to research and verify information before making any financial decisions.
If you’re a victim of a scam or fraud you can report it to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or www.antifraudcentre.ca to file a report. You can also report the crime to your local police department.
You can also file a report of a misleading or deceptive marketing practice with the Competition Bureau using its online complaint form.
If you sent money to a financial institution, report it to them saying the account you sent it to is being used for fraud.
If you were scammed when trying to sell or buy something on sites like Facebook, eBay or Kijiji, report the incident to the website.
The same goes for anyone scammed on a dating site or app, report it directly to the service you were using.
If you sent money, you should also contact both of Canada’s national credit bureaus—Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada—to order a free credit report immediately and ask that a fraud alert be put on your file.
Here is some information on how you can do this with Equifax Canada, and TransUnion.
March 5, 2025
Thousands of Canadians are victims of fraud every year, yet fraud shame is still common. We look at how to remove it here.
