What to know
- Scams are getting smarter — and Canadians are feeling increasingly at risk. A new RBC Fraud Prevention Month poll shows many people feel vulnerable as AI-powered scams become harder to spot, with 39% unsure how to detect them.
- It’s the everyday messages catching people off guard. Unexpected texts, emails and phone calls remain the biggest traps, and 75 per cent of Canadians struggle to tell if a website is legitimate.
- Small steps can go a long way. RBC recommends pausing when something feels urgent or emotional, avoiding suspicious links, turning on multi-factor authentication, and even creating a family “code word” to verify emergencies before sending money.
Have you fallen victim to a scam? You’re not alone.
RBC’s 2026 Fraud Prevention Month Poll reveals that Canadians are struggling and feeling vulnerable amid more frequent, harder-to-spot scams.
The most common scams involve unexpected texts, emails, and calls – even your online shopping order can be risky, with 75 per cent of Canadians struggling to know if a website is legitimate.
Many times, Canadians fall victim to a scam by mistake: 41 per cent unknowingly open a harmful email or attachment, and 40 per cent speak with someone on the phone before realizing it’s a scam.
But a new risk comes with AI-powered threats: 39 per cent of Canadians are unsure how to spot them.
A proactive way to protect yourself is to use a family code word, which only 27 per cent of Canadians do. Setting up a secret word and asking “what is our code word” when in a situation where someone is claiming to be a family member in trouble helps verify the identity of a relative before sending any money.
Since March is Fraud Prevention Month, RBC compiled a list of tips to protect yourself from being scammed.
- Pause when emotions are triggered. Scammers love to stress you out or scare you into taking quick action. They might also impersonate family, friends, or people in authority to gain trust – all with the goal of stealing money or personal information. Take your time to pause and verify whether the person in question is a scammer, and ask someone you trust for advice if needed.
- Use trusted channels to verify requests for money, access or personal information. Never click links or open attachments from unsolicited texts or emails.
- Watch out for personalized scams. Review privacy settings, limit what you share publicly and close unused accounts to limit the information fraudsters can exploit.
- Be proactive. Use strong, unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and set up alerts for your banking and credit card transactions.
Additionally, Toronto Police Service provides tips on anti-scam and anti-fraud information on their website.
If you are a victim of fraud, Toronto Police say to stop all communication with the scammer, stop making any major financial decisions until your accounts are secured and gather records of the scam.
