The headlines are becoming more common by the week: an innocent person getting duped out of huge sums of money by online fraudsters.
There were multiple cases this week alone, including one British Columbia woman who lost $1 million to scammers, and an 89-year-old man who handed over his life savings — a total of $1.7 million.
“It's a huge, huge deal — and it's a huge deal that people think is never going to happen to them,” said financial crimes expert Vanessa Iafolla, during a recent appearance on Village Media’s Closer Look podcast. “But the numbers are there. It's coming for all of us. They don't care who you are. They just care that they hook you at the right moment.”
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, more than 23,000 people have already reported losses this year totalling $544 million. And that’s only the fraction of people who actually come forward to report they’ve been scammed.
You can watch the full interview HERE, or in the YouTube video below.
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