Scam Stories

A 78-year-old grandmother from Etobicoke was targeted by scammers using AI-enhanced voice technology. The caller, claiming to be her grandson, said he was in jail after a car accident and needed $9,000 for bail.

"I was terrified," she told CTV News. "He was crying. It sounded exactly like him." The scammers even sent a 'court courier' to her home to collect the cash.

An Ontario senior lost nearly $800,000—her entire life savings—after being contacted by someone claiming to be a fraud investigator from her bank. The scammer convinced her that bank staff were stealing money and she needed to transfer her funds to a "secure safety deposit account" to protect them.

The "investigation" lasted weeks, isolating her from family until the money was gone.

A Halifax couple was targeted by a pop-up and a phone call from "Microsoft Support." They were told their computer was infected. After paying a small fee for "antivirus," the scammers claimed they had accidentally refunded too much money and needed the couple to send it back.

Through remote access to their computer, the scammers manipulated the screen to make it look like $50,000 had been deposited. The couple wired real money to "return" the fake funds.

A Winnipeg senior believed he had won $2.5 million and a Mercedes-Benz. The callers, posing as Publishers Clearing House, told him he just needed to pay taxes and processing fees to release the prize.

Over several months, he sent over $85,000 in gift cards and wire transfers. He lost his home and was forced into bankruptcy at age 80.