Fraud is a countrywide problem but North Bay's Deputy Police Chief says North Bay is far from immune.
"When we look at what we're getting reported is frauds through last year, it was over 300 calls and we're on the same track for this year," noted Daze.
"We have about 63 already in this year, and in terms of what those look like, it is really a cross-section of what we see across a province and across Canada. We're not isolated here in North Bay."
On Tuesday, multiple police agencies investigating fraud held a press conference at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre located in downtown North Bay.
The reason was to launch the 2025 Fraud Prevention Month campaign called "Uncovering Fraud."
This year's campaign reveals the deceptive techniques used to commit fraud in today's digital age. It aims to equip Canadians with the information, tools and strategies they need to recognize, reject and report fraud.
In 2024, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) received fraud reports totalling $642 million in victim losses, surpassing the previous record of $578 million in 2023. Cyber-Enabled fraud accounted for 75 per cent of reported losses, reflecting the increasing sophistication of online crime. Law enforcement agencies, including the OPP and CAFC, are strengthening partnerships with the private sector to combat these evolving threats through prevention, detection and enforcement.
"At the Anti-Fraud Centre we like to break down the high impact, high loss fraud. So we're talking about the frequency of frauds and the dollar loss involved," said Jeff Thomson, acting manager of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
According to the CAFC, the five most common frauds impacting Canadians were:
- Investment fraud represented $310 million in reported losses in 2024. Ontario victims reported losing more than $102.7 million.
- Spear phishing fraud (Business Email Compromise) represented $67.2 million in reported losses in 2024. Ontario victims reported losing more than $39.5 million.
- Romance fraud represented $58.4 million in reported losses in 2024. Ontario victims reported losing more than $19 million.
- Job scam represented $47.1 million in reported losses in 2024. Ontario victims reported losing more than $14.8 million.
- Extortion fraud represented $21 million in reported losses in 2024. Ontario victims reported losing more than $6.8 million.
"We see those romance frauds, we see some of the Internet frauds if we're talking about rental properties and things that we may see in some of the marketplaces," said Daze.
"We see the grandparents scams like those are all things that we see here."
Police officials are challenged because fraud is constantly evolving and now can be found through door to door scams, phone calls, emails, and even texts.
"Fraud is constantly evolving, and our collective response must evolve with it," said OPP Detective Superintendent Mike Bickerton.
"By working with partners in law enforcement, industry and the community, we are strengthening fraud prevention, supporting victims and holding those responsible accountable. Fraud Prevention Month is an opportunity for everyone to learn how to recognize the signs of fraud and take action to protect themselves and others."
Police also suggest that awareness is the key and that sharing stories about scams is the best way to prevent them from finding new victims.
Anyone with concerns over frauds can call 1-888-495-8501 or reach out to your local police service.