New survey shows fraud attempts are increasingly tied to economic pressures shaping daily headlines – from tariffs to inflation
TORONTO, March 10, 2026 /CNW/ - Scams are increasingly mirroring real life – and Canadians are seeing the impact. New survey findings from Interac Corp. (Interac) show that nearly eight in 10 Canadians (79 per cent) believe artificial intelligence (AI) is enabling fraudsters to create highly convincing scams faster than ever by capitalizing on breaking news and current events, making it harder to distinguish legitimate messages from fraud.
That shift is most visible when Canadians are navigating moments of uncertainty, where urgency and unfamiliar changes already feel plausible. In the past six months, nearly six in 10 Canadians (58 per cent) say they have experienced a tariff-related scam, including messages about packages being held or delayed, customs or import fees or customs impersonation calls. More than half of Canadians (58 per cent) believe scammers are actively exploiting uncertainty around trade rules between Canada and the United States.
Meanwhile, a quarter of Canadians (24 per cent) have noticed an increase in scam attempts over the same period that reference rising cost‑of‑living pressures, including overdue bill notices, utility shutoff threats and offers of government assistance. Together, these findings point to a clear shift – fraud is no longer just interrupting daily life, it is mirroring it.
"Our latest Interac survey reflects what we're seeing on the front lines – fraudsters are moving faster and tracking the news cycle to make phishing, impersonation and investment scams seem legitimate," said Mark Hines, Head of Product, Fraud, at Interac. "As those scams become harder to spot, many of the warning signs Canadians once relied on are less clear, eroding trust in everyday digital interactions."
As scams become more realistic and responsive to current events, increasingly enabled by AI, longstanding cues that once helped Canadians spot fraud are becoming less reliable. Two-thirds of Canadians (66 per cent) say traditional warning signs such as spelling mistakes or poor formatting are no longer dependable indicators of fraud. The impact is showing up in everyday interactions: more than half of Canadians (53 per cent) say they have doubted legitimate messages from trusted organizations including telecommunications providers and financial institutions because scam attempts have become so convincing.
Canadians are responding by actively changing their behaviour. Nearly half are more careful about deals (48 per cent) and are avoiding unfamiliar retailers (47 per cent). Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) say they have reduced their cross-border purchases in response to concern about fraud. One in three (33 per cent) prioritize Canadian websites over international ones – pointing to more cautious day‑to‑day decision making and a shift in where Canadians place their trust. Yet even with increased vigilance, less than a third (31 per cent) believe their current fraud prevention practices are sufficient. If compromised, nearly two thirds of Canadians (63 per cent) say they would feel regret for not doing more to protect themselves.
"Our research highlights the emotional toll of navigating a fraud landscape that increasingly mirrors real life. While fraud increasingly intersects with everyday decisions, addressing this shift requires coordinated action across the ecosystem. Interac is focused on protecting Canadians' financial safety by working with financial institution partners to strengthen fraud prevention measures, drawing on our unique, system-wide view of fraud across account-based payments," added Hines.
To learn more about the work Interac is doing to help protect Canadians from fraud, visit interac.ca/fraudprevention.
About the Interac survey
Interac commissioned Burson to survey 1,500 adult residents across Canada between February 17 and 20, 2026. The sample was randomly drawn from Leger's web panel of potential respondents and weighted by age, gender and region to reflect Canada's population distribution according to 2021 Census data. An associated margin of error for a randomly selected sample of n=1,500 would be ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
About Interac Corp.
Interac empowers Canadians to transact digitally with confidence by providing payment and value exchange services. In helping to develop the future of money movement in Canada, security is at the core of everything we do. We help keep Canadian customers safe and secure when transacting. With nearly 300 financial institutions connected to our network, Canadians choose Interac products over 20 million times a day on average to exchange money. Interac champions workplace culture, community, and corporate citizenship. We are proud to be one of Canada's leading and most trusted financial brands.
Interac is a registered trademark of Interac Corp.
SOURCE Interac Corp.
For further information: Interac Corp., [email protected]
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