Online Scams in Toronto, Canada

How it works

Callers claim to be from the Canada Revenue Agency, Service Canada, or the Canada Border Services Agency and tell victims they owe back taxes or face immediate arrest. Scammers create urgency by threatening police action or deportation, then demand payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre identifies this as one of the highest-loss scam types targeting visitors and new arrivals in Canada.

How it works

Toronto police confirmed in February 2026 that AI-powered scams surged dramatically in the preceding six months, with fraudsters using voice-cloning technology to impersonate family members, bank representatives, or employers. Victims receive calls that sound exactly like a relative in distress asking for emergency money transfers, or a bank security agent warning of account compromise. Losses in Toronto reached $433 million in 2025, a 17 percent increase year-over-year, largely attributed to AI-enabled fraud.

How it works

Scammers use technology to make calls appear to originate from the Toronto Police Service or other law enforcement numbers. Toronto police issued a public warning in March 2026 confirming callers claim to be TPS detectives investigating fraud or identity theft, provide partial personal details about the victim to sound credible, then demand payment in Bitcoin or gift cards to resolve the supposed criminal matter. The caller ID genuinely displays a Toronto Police Service number.

How it works

Fraudulent Facebook pages impersonating the Toronto Transit Commission offer heavily discounted Presto cards and transit passes for sale online. The Canadian Press confirmed in 2025 that these pages are part of a coordinated global scam network, with one page titled "Public transit in Toronto" created specifically to harvest payment and personal data. Victims who attempt to purchase receive nothing and have their financial information compromised.