Fraud Targets Canadians Every Day as Simple Habits Open the Door to Scammers

Fraud attempts in Canada are no longer occasional messages that can be easily ignored. They have become a constant stream reaching phones, email inboxes and social media accounts, while a new survey suggests that many Canadians may be more confident in their ability to spot scams than their daily digital habits justify.

A Leger survey commissioned by TD Bank found that 46% of respondents encounter fraud or scam attempts daily or weekly, while 52% admitted to at least one behaviour that could make them more vulnerable to fraud.

The most concerning habits included using public Wi-Fi to access personal or financial accounts, opening email attachments from unknown senders and clicking links in text messages or emails before confirming who sent them.

According to the survey, 18% said they had used public Wi-Fi to access personal or financial accounts. Another 15% had opened attachments from people they did not know, while the same percentage said they had clicked on links without first verifying the source.

A further 13% had engaged with suspicious online offers, while 11% had downloaded apps or software from unfamiliar websites. These practices can expose passwords, banking information and personal data, or allow malicious software to be installed on a device.

The findings are particularly concerning because 89% of respondents said they were confident in their ability to detect fraud.

Tarundeep Dhoot, head of fraud management at TD, described that confidence as a double-edged sword, warning that feeling overly secure can lead people to act too quickly or overlook warning signs that scammers are trained to exploit.

The results do not mean that people who fall victim to fraud are responsible for what happened. Scammers use carefully designed psychological pressure, imitate trusted organizations and create phone numbers, websites and email addresses that appear legitimate.

They often rely on fear, urgency or the promise of a financial reward to push victims into acting before they have time to verify the situation.

A typical message may claim that there has been suspicious activity on a bank account, that a package is being held until a fee is paid, or that money is owed to a government agency. The recipient is then told to click a link or call a number immediately.

In such cases, people should avoid using the link or phone number provided in the message, even when the organization’s name looks familiar.

Instead, they should open the institution’s official app, type its website address manually or call the number listed on the back of their bank card or on official documents.

People should also avoid signing into financial accounts or sending sensitive information while connected to public Wi-Fi in airports, cafés or shopping centres.

When access is urgent, mobile data is generally safer than an open public network. Otherwise, it is better to wait until a trusted connection is available.

Email attachments should never be opened simply because the subject line looks convincing. Scammers may pretend to represent a delivery company, bank, employer or government agency.

Some attachments can contain malware that records passwords, monitors activity or gives criminals access to the device.

Warning signs that should cause people to stop include pressure to act immediately, threats that an account will be closed, claims that police action is imminent, requests for payment through gift cards or cryptocurrency, and demands to share a one-time verification code received by text message.

Canadians should also be cautious about offers that appear too good to be true, including guaranteed investment returns, job opportunities requiring upfront payments and prize notifications for contests they never entered.

The survey also found that 41% of respondents never consult fraud-prevention resources, while 42% do so only a few times a year or less, despite the speed at which scam techniques continue to evolve.

The survey included 1,517 Canadian adults and 262 business owners. It was conducted between December 18, 2025, and January 5, 2026. The results were weighted by age, gender, region and language in Quebec to reflect Canada’s population.

For a sample of this size, the estimated margin of error is approximately 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The findings come as reported fraud losses continue to rise across Canada.

The federal government says Canadians reported more than $704 million in fraud losses during 2025, bringing reported losses since 2022 to more than $2.4 billion.

Government estimates suggest that only 5% to 10% of fraud incidents are reported, meaning the true scale of the problem may be significantly larger than official figures indicate.

Ottawa is developing a national anti-fraud strategy aimed at improving coordination among banks, telecommunications companies, online platforms and law-enforcement agencies.

The strategy is also expected to strengthen prevention, reporting and response systems as criminals increasingly use artificial intelligence to imitate voices, identities and trusted communications.

But personal protection still begins with one simple rule: do not let fear or urgency make the decision for you.

Pause. Do not click the link. Do not share a password or verification code. Confirm the request through an independent and official channel.

A scammer does not always need a sophisticated technical attack. Sometimes, one rushed click, one moment of trust or one small piece of information is enough to open the door