Canadians are facing a flood of scam attempts, with one in three reporting fraudulent job or CRA-related texts in the past three months alone, according to new research from Equifax Canada.
The Equifax Cybersecurity Survey, reveals a growing preparedness gap in what to do in cases of scams or fraud. Nearly two-thirds of Canadians surveyed say they would contact the police if their identity was stolen, and half would reach out to a credit bureau. Of those surveyed, 79 per cent stated they would contact their bank, however nine per cent admit they wouldn’t know what to do at all.
One in four Canadians surveyed also reported receiving scam emails, while a further 13 per cent admit to clicking on a fraudulent link, and six per cent say they have already had their identity stolen.
The survey also shows a near-universal sense of risk with 97 per cent of those surveyed saying that protecting themselves online is important, and 93 per cent report that protecting their family online is important:
- 82 per cent worry about children being taken advantage of online.
- 75 per cent worry about their information being hacked from their personal computer.
- 71 per cent worry about someone using technology to trick them into giving away personal information.
- 61 per cent worry about someone impersonating them on social media.
Protecting yourself and your family
The best defence against scams is educating yourself and being cautious.
- Verify everything: Independently verify unsolicited requests. Government agencies/banks will never ask for personal info via email/text, or demand gift cards/cryptocurrency. For businesses, go directly to their official website if an account issue is suspected.
- Don’t be pressured: Legitimate organizations allow time for verification.
- Build a shield: Use strong passwords and logins, secure your Wi-Fi and be careful what you share.
- Educate yourself: Stay informed about current scams.
Equifax surveys over the past decade illustrate how fraud and scam threats have evolved. In 2015, just over half of Canadians (53 per cent) felt vulnerable to identity theft. By 2023, more than eight in ten (81 per cent) said they did. Today, nearly all Canadians place importance on protecting themselves (97 per cent) with the threat of fraud increasingly immediate and direct, arriving on the devices Canadians use every day.
- Scam exposure is widespread: 31 per cent of Canadians surveyed received fraudulent job texts and 29 per cent received CRA or banking scam texts in the last three months.
- Risky links: 13 per cent surveyed had clicked a scam link, and 15 per cent had received romance scam messages on social media.
- Top protections Canadians want: With fraud and scams on the rise, 31 per cent of Canadians surveyed think they need to do more to protect themselves online. When thinking of online security tools, respondents cited the following tools as most important: secure VPN and anti-virus software, password managers, credit monitoring, parental controls, and social media and dark web monitoring.
*The Equifax Cybersecurity Survey was conducted online by Leger between September 19 and 22, 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 1,521 Canadians. For comparative purposes, a probability sample of this size would yield a margin of error of ±2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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This entry was posted on October 27, 2025 at 5:44 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Equifax. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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One in Three Canadians Targeted by Scam Texts in Just Three Months: Equifax
Canadians are facing a flood of scam attempts, with one in three reporting fraudulent job or CRA-related texts in the past three months alone, according to new research from Equifax Canada.
The Equifax Cybersecurity Survey, reveals a growing preparedness gap in what to do in cases of scams or fraud. Nearly two-thirds of Canadians surveyed say they would contact the police if their identity was stolen, and half would reach out to a credit bureau. Of those surveyed, 79 per cent stated they would contact their bank, however nine per cent admit they wouldn’t know what to do at all.
One in four Canadians surveyed also reported receiving scam emails, while a further 13 per cent admit to clicking on a fraudulent link, and six per cent say they have already had their identity stolen.
The survey also shows a near-universal sense of risk with 97 per cent of those surveyed saying that protecting themselves online is important, and 93 per cent report that protecting their family online is important:
Protecting yourself and your family
The best defence against scams is educating yourself and being cautious.
Equifax surveys over the past decade illustrate how fraud and scam threats have evolved. In 2015, just over half of Canadians (53 per cent) felt vulnerable to identity theft. By 2023, more than eight in ten (81 per cent) said they did. Today, nearly all Canadians place importance on protecting themselves (97 per cent) with the threat of fraud increasingly immediate and direct, arriving on the devices Canadians use every day.
*The Equifax Cybersecurity Survey was conducted online by Leger between September 19 and 22, 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 1,521 Canadians. For comparative purposes, a probability sample of this size would yield a margin of error of ±2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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This entry was posted on October 27, 2025 at 5:44 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Equifax. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.