$531 million in financial losses related to fraud in 2022

the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre It points to an alarming increase in Canadians’ financial losses linked to fraud.

• Read also: Increases in credit card fraud are concerning

• Read also: Photo thieves: ‘People started putting money there’

In fact, Canadians lost $138 million in 2019, while that number reached $531 million last year.

The parastatal also points out that few people report the scams they are victims of; This number is estimated to fluctuate between 5 and 10%.

The investigation reveals that among the reasons given for the lack of reports, victims say they have little hope of finding the color of their money.

Jeff Horncastel of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center suggests this is the work of organized crime.

“These are very well-orchestrated scams. A lot of the scams come from abroad, but not only that.

He calls on residents to learn about ways to protect themselves.

Jean-Benoit Turcotti, Desjardins’ spokesman, called for vigilance.

“You have to be vigilant and be wary of all unsolicited offers, whether it’s a phone call, an email, or all offers that are too good to be true,” he says.