What is a scam?

A scam is when someone tries to trick you into giving away things like your:

• money
• valuables like jewelry
• personal information like your name, date of birth, bank account details, or Social Insurance Number (SIN)

People who try to trick or scam other people are called scammers.

When scammers use your personal information, it's called identity theft. Because they then use your personal information to pretend they're you and do things like:

• take money from your bank accounts
• shop with your credit or debit cards
• apply for new credit cards, bank loans, and other credit in your name

This can make things very difficult for you. Your credit score may drop. You may have trouble getting approval for things like a bank loan, a credit card, or a mortgage. You may even find it difficult to rent an apartment.

Read more in What is identity theft?

How do scammers contact people?

Scammers use many different ways to reach you. For example, they may try and contact you through:

• phone calls
• text messages
• emails
• online ads
• social media
• door-to-door sales

How do scammers know so much?

The internet and artificial intelligence (AI) are making it easier for scammers to get your personal information. They can find out things like the last 4 digits of your bank card, your email address, and the names of your family members and friends.

Scammers then use that information to trick you into thinking the phone call, email, or text message that you get is real. It's important to be careful about what you share online. Read more in Step 3.

Scammers use AI to create websites and videos that look like they're from a real business or from the government. You may click on a link in an email and think you've gone to your bank's website or the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) site. But actually, it's a fake website that steals your information.

Scammers create fake profiles on social media like Facebook and Instagram to learn more about you. They also use tools to clone or copy voices and images. This makes you think you're talking to a loved one who's in trouble and asking for your help.

Scammers often use tools to spoof a phone number. This means when they call, the caller ID on your phone shows, for example, that your bank or the CRA is calling, when it's not.