The Canadian Senior’s Master Guide to Scam Prevention

[Last reviewed: November 1, 2026]

Scammers target Canadian seniors by email, text message, phone and ordinary mail. Their methods change, but the tricks behind them stay the same. This guide explains the most common scams, the warning signs that give them away, and exactly what to do if you have been caught.

Bill’s golden rule: if something feels wrong, it probably is. When in doubt, hang up, delete it, or throw it away. A real organization will still be there tomorrow.

Printable handbook: download the free Canadian Senior Scam Protection Guide (PDF) to keep by the phone or share with family.

Contents

The Warning Signs Every Scam Shares

Almost every scam uses at least one of these. Spot one and you can stop there.

  • Urgency: you must act right now, or something terrible will happen.
  • Secrecy: you are told not to tell your family, your bank or anyone else.
  • Unusual payment: gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, e-transfers to a stranger, or cash handed to a courier.
  • A link or a callback number they supply: they want you to use their link or their number, not one you find yourself.
  • Something for nothing: a prize, refund or inheritance you never expected, with a fee to collect it.

Email and Text Message Scams

Most of these are “phishing”: messages pretending to come from an organization you trust, so you will click a link and type in your details.

  • Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): the CRA will never ask for personal or financial information by email or text, and never asks for payment by gift card, prepaid card or cryptocurrency. Messages saying your account is “suspended” or that you are owed a refund are fakes.
  • Bank alerts: fake “suspicious activity” messages send you to a copy of your bank’s website to steal your login. Never use a link in a text or email to log in to your bank.
  • Package delivery: fake Canada Post or courier notices say a small “delivery fee” or “customs fee” is owing. The aim is your card number.
  • Warning signs: generic greetings like “Dear Customer,” spelling mistakes, sender addresses that do not match the company, and pressure to act fast.

Safe habit: if a message worries you, close it. Then go to the organization’s website by typing the address yourself, or call the number on your card or statement.

Telephone Scams

Phone scams rely on panic. The caller wants you too rattled to think.

  • The grandparent scam: a caller pretends to be a grandchild (or a lawyer or police officer calling for them) who is in trouble and needs money for bail or a hospital bill. They beg you to keep it secret. Hang up and call your grandchild, or their parents, on a number you already have. A newer version starts by text: “Hi Grandma, I dropped my phone, this is my new number.”
  • The “bank investigator”: a caller says they are from your bank’s fraud department or the police, and asks you to help catch a dishonest employee by moving money to a “safe account,” handing cash or your card to a courier, or letting them into your computer. No real bank or police officer will ever ask you to do any of these.
  • Tech support: unsolicited callers claiming to be from Microsoft, Apple or your internet provider say your computer has a virus. Never give remote access to anyone who called you.
  • Utility threats: callers say your power or heat will be cut off within hours unless you pay immediately. Call the number on your actual bill instead.
  • Robocalls: recorded messages say your Social Insurance Number is “suspended” or that there is a warrant for your arrest. A SIN cannot be suspended, and police do not issue warrants by robocall.

Safe habit: caller ID can be faked, so a familiar name on the screen proves nothing. Hang up, wait a minute, and call back on a number you look up yourself.

Romance and Investment Scams

These take longer to unfold, and they cost Canadians the most money.

  • Romance scams: a new online friend or sweetheart, often met on social media or a dating site, is warm and attentive but can never meet in person or talk on video. Sooner or later there is an emergency, a travel cost or a business problem that needs money. Never send money to someone you have not met face to face.
  • Investment scams: offers of guaranteed or unusually high returns, often in cryptocurrency, sometimes promoted with fake celebrity endorsements or fake news articles. If you are promised big returns with no risk, it is a scam. Before investing anything, check that the person or company is registered with your provincial securities regulator.

Mail and Charity Scams

Ordinary mail is still used for fraud, because it feels more official.

  • Foreign lotteries and sweepstakes: letters say you have won a prize but must pay taxes or fees to release it. You cannot win a lottery you did not enter, and a real prize never requires a payment first.
  • Inheritance scams: a letter says you are the heir of a distant relative or a stranger, and asks for a fee or your banking details to transfer the money.
  • Fake charities: names that sound almost like well-known charities, often after a disaster in the news. Check any charity’s registration number on the CRA’s list of registered charities before you give, and give through the charity’s own website.

Fake Refunds, Rebates and Settlements

When a real class action settlement or government rebate is in the news, scammers send texts and emails saying you are owed money, with a link to “claim” it.

  • Real settlements do not text you out of the blue asking for your banking or card details.
  • If you did not file a claim, you are not about to receive a payment.
  • Never give a card number to receive a refund. Refunds do not work that way.
  • If you think you may be part of a real settlement, search for the official claims website yourself.

What To Do If You Have Been Scammed

It happens to careful, intelligent people every day. Acting quickly can limit the damage, so do not let embarrassment slow you down.

  1. Stop all contact with the scammer. Do not send more money, even if they promise to return what you lost.
  2. Call your bank or credit card company right away, using the number on your card, to report the charges and block further payments.
  3. Put a fraud alert on your credit file with both credit bureaus: Equifax Canada at 1-800-465-7166 and TransUnion Canada at 1-800-663-9980.
  4. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501, or online at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
  5. Report it to your local police, especially if you lost money or gave out your identity details.
  6. Tell family or a friend. Scammers often come back to the same person with a “recovery” offer to get their money back for a fee. That is a second scam.

Stay a Step Ahead

New scams appear all the time. We cover the ones circulating in Canada in our free newsletter, along with savings tips and Canadian stories. Subscribe to Canadian Senior Moment and get them in your inbox.

Looking for ways to stretch your budget safely? See our Canadian Senior Discounts Guide.