By Kristen Matwychuk, PHEc
Scam calls are on the rise, costing Canadians millions of dollars every year. Many victims never report what happened, often because they feel confused, embarrassed, or unsure of what to do next. Learning how to spot a phone scam, shut it down, and support vulnerable family members can make a big difference in keeping your household and community safe.
Across the country, “emergency” scams alone have led to more than $2.9 million in reported losses, Manitobans account for more than $350,000 of these losses. These scams work because they are emotional, urgent, and designed to manipulate caring people, not because victims are careless or irresponsible. Scammers use fear and secrecy to prevent their targets from pausing to think or verify the story.
Why do Scammers Target Older Adults?
Scammers frequently target older adults because many have savings, own homes, and may be experiencing major life transitions or losses. These factors, along with being generally less comfortable with technology, can make older adults easy targets. Scammers take advantage of trust, compassion, and an older adult’s instinct to help family members in distress.
Being targeted does not mean someone is vulnerable or incapable. These scams are made to cause emotional responses, especially love and fear, to get people to go along with them.
How Can I Protect Myself and My Loved Ones from Scam Calls?
- Just hang up. If the call feels fishy or wrong, hang up. Ending the call immediately shuts down the pressure and prevents the scam from getting worse. Scammers rely on panic to keep you on the phone, so ending the call breaks their control.
- Verify before you pay. No real emergency requires secrecy, rushed decisions, or instant payment. A quick call to a trusted family member can prevent thousands of dollars in losses.
- Police will never ask for money by phone. No police service will demand bail money, gift cards, e-transfers, or send a courier to pick up cash. Governments will not demand taxes or interest this way either. Any requests like these are a scam.
- Is it real or AI? With AI‑generated voice cloning becoming easier, callers can sound convincingly like loved ones. Always pause and verify the caller’s identity before taking any action. To help verify identity, you can establish a family password or phrase that is not easily guessed or ask questions that only the real family member could answer. If you are still not sure, just hang up.
What Can We Do to Reduce Scam Calls?
- Talk openly about scams. Talking about scams and how they work makes it easier for seniors to recognize and disclose suspicious calls or seek advice. Scammers rely on secrecy, but communication breaks that pattern.
- Respond with empathy. Victims often feel embarrassed or ashamed, believing they should have “known better.” These scams are designed to manipulate good people who care deeply about their families. Approach the situation with understanding, not blame or anger.
- Report the scam. Very few victims report fraud, but reporting provides law enforcement with the information they need to stop scammers and help prevent others from becoming victims. Report scams to your bank as well.
- Be informed. Every hang‑up shuts down a scam, and every conversation helps prevent one. Fraudsters prey on trust, urgency, and fear, but informed community members can stop them fast, protect the people they love, and ensure victims feel supported rather than ashamed.
March is fraud prevention month – an annual campaign organized by the Competition Bureau, RCMP and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. For more tools, resources, and guidance on preventing phone scams and helping older adults stay safe, visit JustHangUp.ca or competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/fraud-and-scams/fraud-prevention-month. For information on reporting scams, head to competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/fraud-and-scams/tips-and-advice/how-report-fraud-and-scams-canada
Kristen is a Professional Home Economist with a degree in Food Sciences from the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. She’s passionate about building agriculture and food literacy in Manitoba’s agri-food sector. Professionally, Kristen has built literacy through the development of educational resources and activities for school age kids, testing and promoting recipes, guiding farm tours, and teaching food handler’s certificate courses.
