A phone call from a “bank representative” or a message claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency may appear legitimate, but scammers often use impersonation, urgency and fear to convince people to hand over money or personal information.
In Slave Lake, RCMP say common scams include bank and CRA impersonation scams, as well as “grandparent scams.”
“Callers often claim there’s a problem with the victim’s account and pressure them to send money via e-transfer or purchase gift cards (and provide the PIN) to ‘fix’ it,” Slave Lake RCMP Sgt. Casey Bruyns says. “Legitimate banks and the CRA will never ask you to do this.”
Bruyns says scammers often contact residents by phone, email or text message while pretending to represent a financial institution or government agency. Warning signs include any unsolicited request to verify personal information such as a Social Insurance Number, driver’s licence number, account details or PIN.
“If something feels off, trust your instincts and hang up,” he says.
Grandparent scams, which have been reported in the town, involve fraudsters calling elderly victims while pretending to be a grandchild who needs urgent help.
According to TD Bank, these callers often claim they have been injured, arrested or involved in an accident and need money immediately. They may sound distressed or disguise their voice, and often ask the victim not to tell anyone. The scam relies on the victim’s desire to help a loved one and can result in money being sent through e-transfers, gift cards, wire transfers or other methods.
The effectiveness of these scams comes from psychological manipulation, Bruyns says. While scams targeting seniors and using a sense of urgency are not new, fraudsters continue to adapt their methods.
“Scams are constantly evolving as scammers become more creative, but we are not seeing any major new trends at this time,” he says.
Bruyns advised residents to avoid clicking links in suspicious emails or texts, never share personal or financial information with unsolicited callers, and contact their bank or the CRA directly using verified contact information if they are unsure about a request.
Many scams can also be identified by carefully checking the sender’s email address, phone number or the web address (URL) included in a message or email.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians reported losing more than $704 million to fraud in 2025, although officials estimate that only 5 per cent to 10 per cent of fraud incidents are reported to authorities.
William Hetherington
Lakeside Leader