A majority of Canadians are feeling ‘fraud fatigue’ and increasingly vulnerable as fraud becomes more personalized. According to RBC’s annual Fraud Prevention Month Poll, almost all respondents (98%) have seen more targeted and sophisticated scams, with nearly nine out of 10 (89%) noting a rise in scam attempts more than ever before (up from 77% in 2023).
In addition, the majority (86%) of respondents believe it is getting harder to recognize scams and protect themselves; two-thirds (65%) are feeling tired of always having to be on the alert; and one-third (33%) admit to letting their guard down.
“With the increase in volume and sophistication of scams, it’s understandable that Canadians are finding it challenging to always have their guard up when it comes to fraud. Criminals are using the latest technology to gather information, build trust, create urgency and prey on people’s needs and fears,” says Vanja Gorazi, Vice President, Fraud Management, RBC. “This has led to a wave of investment, romance, senior and other scams. It has never been more important to stay alert.”
Rising threats
Poll respondents continue to place both phishing (generic deceptive messages through email or text) and spear phishing (more targeted emails and texts that look legitimate from a seemingly trusted source) at the top of their list of scams (79%). The majority also continue to see a rise in scams targeting seniors (76%) and deepfake scams (65%, up from 56% in 2024) impersonating trusted individuals or organizations.
The best defence against scams
The vast majority of Canadians (97%) believe it’s worth it to take steps to protect themselves against fraud. With scams, they recognize the need to question what they see and hear, with 91% of respondents believing the best defence against scams is staying aware and vigilant. Moreover, almost three-quarters (71%) feel prevention measures must be extreme to be effective.
Actions respondents are taking:
- 93% never share passwords, PINs, or login details with anyone
- 92% never respond to unsolicited texts, calls or emails
- 91% say “no” when pressured to respond to an urgent request or offer
- 84% always use more than one way to authenticate themselves where possible
- 71% no longer trust any form of communication, even if it seems to come from a trusted source
“It’s human nature to do the right thing for our families, friends and communities – fraudsters know this and try to capitalize on it. When it comes to scams, sometimes even one slip can lead to significant losses and stress. That’s why it is so important to stay vigilant, educated and talk to friends and family about how to stay safe from scams,” notes Gorazi.
RBC provides three top tips to help protect yourself from fraud:
- Stop. Pause and double-check the source of a message before acting. Do you feel fearful or rushed to click on a link? With more advanced technology, criminals can easily impersonate your family, friends and trusted sources and persuade you to share your information. If an unexpected offer sounds too good to be true, it likely is; and if it looks fishy, it’s probably phishing!
- Set up protection features. Use technology to protect yourself. Enable multi-factor authentication and banking alerts on the RBC Mobile app, and remember to take advantage of biometric features such as face or fingerprint ID.
- Stay informed. Remember that:
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- The bank will never ask you to provide your login ID, PIN, password or one-time code to anyone through text, email or voicemail.
- RBC will never ask you to destroy your debit or credit card and then give it to the bank or a third-party to secure your accounts.
- The bank will also never ask you to add RBC as a payee for verification, complete a transaction to “secure” your account, share a link from an Interac e-transfer or download a remote-access application.
- If you’re unsure that you’re speaking with an RBC representative, hang up the phone and call the number on the back of your debit or credit card.
To learn more about how to protect yourself and report fraud, please visit How RBC Keeps You Safe from Fraud.
