As Fraud Prevention Month begins, the Toronto Police Service is making the public aware of a rise in artificial intelligence–enabled scams. These new, more sophisticated schemes are changing how fraud is carried out and contributing to losses that now total hundreds of millions of dollars across several fraud categories. 

Criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to convincingly impersonate trusted individuals and institutions, including financial representatives, government agencies, businesses, family members, and, in some cases, police officers. These technologies can replicate voices, generate realistic communications, and create highly believable scenarios that remove many of the traditional warning signs people once relied upon to detect scams. 

“This is not the fraud landscape people are familiar with,” said Detective Dave Coffey of the Toronto Police Financial Crimes Unit. “Artificial intelligence has made impersonation easier, faster, and more convincing. The scammer no longer needs your password. They just need your trust.” 

How AI Makes Scams More Convincing 

Here's how these confidence scams work: criminals use artificial intelligence to quickly collect and analyze personal information available online about potential victims, such as social media posts and online profiles. They also obtain personal data through phishing emails and text messages, as well as through large-scale data breaches where sensitive information has been exposed. Scammers then use this information to gain your trust.  

“In many cases, victims are not responding to random messages,” said Detective Coffey. “They are being contacted by someone who appears to know personal details about their lives. That level of familiarity significantly increases the effectiveness of the scam.” 

This shift means fraud prevention is no longer only about protecting passwords or avoiding suspicious links. Personal information may already be available to criminals through multiple sources, making independent verification of identity more important than ever. 

Financial Impact 

The impact of this shift is reflected clearly in the data. 

In 2025, reported losses from confidence scams alone approached $50 million, compared to approximately $35 million in 2024. When combined with similar offences such as identity theft and personation, losses increased from approximately $41 million in 2024 to an estimated $98 million in 2025. 

When additional fraud categories that frequently involve impersonation and social engineering tactics, such as romance and investment scams, are included, losses increase by approximately another $90 million, showing the broader financial impact of confidence-based fraud across Toronto.  

Key Prevention Tips 

• Police are reminding the public: 
• Pause and verify any urgent or unexpected request involving money or personal information 
• Do not rely solely on caller ID, voice recognition, or appearance as proof of identity.
• Contact organizations directly using trusted contact information you locate yourself 
• Be cautious of pressure tactics, especially those involving secrecy or urgency 
• Limit the amount of personal information shared publicly online when possible