In 2022, 90,137 incidents of fraud were reported, with 56,352 Canadian victims and a total loss of $530 million, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).
Each year, CAFC documents new frauds, trying to stay ahead of scammers who keep coming up with more innovative ways to victimize Canadians for their money.
This month, for example, a First Nations woman in Ontario said that she replied on social media to a Facebook video with celebrity renovation contractor Mike Holmes, asking for help to restore her 100-year-old farmhouse. She received a reply from someone claiming to be with HGTV, a TV network with home renovation shows, who asked for an application form, personal information, and a deposit for the repairs for participation in the show….