A cautionary tale from one who’s been scammed, and reminders on how to avoid becoming a victim of the myriad online and phone scams now circulating.
Yvette (last name withheld) is a typical target for romance scammers. The 62-year-old retired nurse has had a rough couple of years, losing her longtime husband to cancer and then an ex after that. “I was an absolute mess, losing two partners within 18 months and then being in a car accident,” said Yvette, who now lives with and cares for her elderly parents in St. Albert. “Life gets the better of you when you’re emotionally and physically drained. I was ripe for the picking.”
To ease her loneliness during COVID-19, Yvette, like many, turned to online dating sites to connect with others. Over a couple of years, two scammers each took Yvette for several thousand dollars, promising love and companionship but ultimately, just emptying her pocketbook.
Though Yvette’s is a cautionary tale, she’s not alone.
Online scams skyrocketing across Alberta
Social Catfish, a U.S.-based search company that helps users around the world verify online identities, recently released a study on the surge of online scams in Canada after analyzing five years of data (2017-21) from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
The study shows Canada is experiencing an unprecedented number of online scams with a record $380 million stolen in 2021, more than double the 2020 numbers. Alberta victims lost the second most country-wide, losing an…
