January 14, 2026
While only three in ten Canadians say they have personally ever fallen victim to any type of scam, such as an online scam, phishing attempt or phone scam, half know someone else who has, highlighting the widespread reach of fraudulent activity. The likelihood of either having personally fallen victim to a scam or knowing someone who has is consistent across the country, across age groups, genders, and other demographics, underscoring how scams affect all segments of the population.
Concern about scams is high, with three quarters of the population saying they are concerned about the possibility of falling for a scam, and the vast majority of people are taking at least some type of action to protect themselves. Indeed, three quarters say they are generally cautious about unsolicited emails, texts or calls, and seven-in-ten say they don’t click on links included in emails or texts. Six-in-ten don’t share personal details on social media, or make sure to confirm the legitimacy of any calls or emails before providing any sensitive data to others. Many are also taking a more technical approach, such as using strong, unique passwords on each account, installing antivirus and antimalware software on their devices, or keeping their operating systems updated. All types of actions are much more common among older Canadians, aged 55 and up, compared to those in younger cohorts. In addition, women are much more likely than men to be taking action against scams.
“These results clearly show the proliferation of scams and Canadians are clearly worried,” says Margaret Chapman, COO at Narrative Research. “In such an environment, it’s imperative that people keep up to date and remain vigilant against fraudulent activity, while also understanding which types of calls, texts and emails are legitimate outreach from companies people can trust.”
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between December 9 – 15, 2025 with 1,233 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2021 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution. For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned, research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented.
The questions asked were:
Thinking about people’s experiences and concerns related to scams such as online scams, phishing attempts or phone scams… have you personally ever fallen victim to any type of scam?
- Yes
- No
Do you know someone who has fallen victim to an online scam, phishing attempt or phone scam?
- Yes
- No
How concerned are you about the possibility of falling for a scam?
- Extremely concerned
- Somewhat concerned
- Not very concerned
- Not at all concerned
What actions, if any, have you taken to protect yourself from falling victim to an online scam, phishing attempt, or phone scam?
- Generally being cautious of unsolicited emails, texts or calls
- Not clicking on links included in emails or texts
- Avoid sharing personal details on social media
- Confirming legitimacy of any calls or emails before providing any sensitive data
- Using strong, unique passwords for each account
- Installing antivirus and antimalware software on my devices
- Keeping my operating systems updated
- Something else
- None of the above
