The scams that hit Albertans the most in 2024

Every year, scammers steal millions of dollars from thousands of Canadians.

As technology has advanced, so have scams, evolving from the famous email scam of a Nigerian prince offering gold for money to selling fake cryptocurrency.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) receives thousands of scam reports every month.

In 2023, it processed 63,789 fraud reports, there were 42,226 victims, and $577 million was lost to fraud.

By October 31, 2024, it had processed 40,623 reports, there were 28,634 victims, and $503 million was lost to fraud.

Albertans account for 2,952 of the reports, 2,164 of the victims and lost more than $39 million between January 1st and September 30th.

“However, it is important to note that the highest reported scams differ from the highest reported number of victimized scams,” said Christina Zoernig, a federal police strategist with the RCMP.

“Some scams like spear phishing, they’re considered high dollar value, but they’re not something the public typically encounters.”

The top five scams to report in Alberta in 2024 were:

In terms of actual victims in the province, these were the top five scams:

In the end, these were the top five scams that cost Albertans the most money:

“In general, these scams continue to increase each year, and there is no noticeable seasonal change with the types of fraud,” Zoernig said.

“Investigatively, we believe this year’s top scams are likely to continue into the new year.”

How to stay safe

There are many ways to fall victim to a scam, so how do you make sure you protect yourself?

In the modern world, many scams revolve around computers, such as hacking into accounts, getting people to click on phishing links, and accessing data over Wi-Fi networks.

The Government of Canada has online resources to help people learn how to protect themselves online.

Some tips include creating unique passwords for all accounts and devices, not sharing sensitive information via email, and being careful about how much and what kind of information you share on social media.

When it comes to investing, Alberta Securities Commission it also has online learning tools to protect investors.

“Fraudsters follow a series of steps that are easy to identify,” according to the Alberta Securities Commission. “Knowing the game will help you see what’s beneath the surface.”

Anyone who believes they may be a victim of fraud or is actively being targeted by fraud is encouraged to report it to their local law enforcement agency and the CAFC.

“The RCMP cannot overstate the importance of public reporting to police,” said Zoernig. “We cannot investigate a crime if we are not aware that a crime has occurred and we cannot bring those responsible to justice.

“Most importantly, without your information, we cannot prevent the victimization of others.”

If you believe that your information personal or banking information may be compromised, you are also encouraged to report this to your bank and company. of credit card.

The CAFC website has lists and information on dozens of scams targeting Canadians website.