Canada’s national consumer protection and law enforcement bodies together with major financial institutions warned Canadians today to be on heightened alert for a wave of artificial intelligence enabled scams that impersonate government agencies and trusted brands. The advisory describes a range of techniques being used by fraudsters, including AI generated voice and video deepfakes, convincingly spoofed emails and websites, and targeted text message campaigns that pressure victims into transferring money by instant e transfer, cryptocurrency, or prepaid cards. Authorities say these scams are increasingly realistic, often combining public data about individuals with synthetic audio or video to create an appearance of legitimacy. Why officials are alarmed Officials are concerned for three reasons. First, the barrier to producing believable synthetic audio and video has fallen quickly, allowing small criminal groups to imitate public figures, organizational spokespeople or even a victim’s family member. Second, scammers are combining these synthetic media with more traditional social engineering, such as urgent demands to pay or to move funds, which increases the chance that recipients will act before verifying the request. Third, some of the payment channels used by scammers, including cryptocurrency rails and e transfer services, make recovery of funds difficult or impossible once they leave the victim’s control. Practical examples and recent losses Financial firms and fraud monitors have documented cases where deepfaked video endorsements or impersonated interviews were used to promote fake investment platforms and to trick people into wiring deposits. Separately, tax season and immigration related impersonation schemes remain persistent vectors, with scammers creating fake government pages that request sign in credentials, banking details, or payment to avoid fabricated penalties. What the authorities are telling Canadians The public guidance issued today emphasizes simple but effective verification steps: do not click links embedded in unsolicited messages, avoid transferring funds or sharing credentials in response to unexpected calls or texts, and contact the referenced government department through official channels before taking any action. Agencies also stress that legitimate government departments will not demand immediate payment by e transfer, cryptocurrency or by gift card to resolve a tax, immigration or policing issue. Where to report and how cases are handled Officials urged anyone who receives a suspicious call, text or email to report it promptly to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre, and to notify their bank or payment provider if funds were sent. Law enforcement agencies noted that while reporting does not always guarantee full recovery of lost funds, early reporting increases investigators’ chances of tracing payments and disrupting criminal networks. Why this matters internationally As synthetic media tools become more accessible globally, the risk is not limited to Canada. Scammers can easily reuse the same deepfake assets and fake websites across jurisdictions, targeting diaspora communities and cross border payment flows. For Canada the spread of these scams threatens household savings, drains trust in digital services, and complicates the job of regulators and platforms trying to remove fraudulent content quickly. What consumers and organizations should do next Consumers should: verify any unexpected request by calling a phone number obtained independently from the message, resist urgency pressure, and enable multi factor authentication on financial and government online accounts. Organizations should increase staff training to recognise AI enhanced social engineering, adopt stronger verification requirements for payment changes, and coordinate with banks and platform providers to freeze suspicious transfers rapidly. Authorities also recommend that Canadians keep records of suspicious communications, screenshots and transaction receipts when reporting incidents, because those materials assist investigators and banks with tracing funds and taking down fraudulent websites. Looking ahead Regulators say this is not a temporary spike but a structural shift in how fraud is carried out. They called for closer collaboration between government agencies, financial institutions, technology platforms and civil society to develop better detection tools, faster takedown processes and clearer public education campaigns. For now the immediate priority is raising public awareness and making it harder for scammers to convert synthetic media into stolen money. If you or someone you know suspects they have been targeted, report the incident to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre and contact your financial institution immediately to see whether transfers can be halted or reversed.