Amid scam wave, seniors urged to review Facebook privacy settings
Amid scam wave, seniors urged to review Facebook privacy settings
Publish Date: 2026-04-25 09:05:00
Source Domain: www.orilliamatters.com
Fraud and cybercrime cost Canadians $638M in 2024, with almost 40 per cent of that amount lost by senior citizens, warn officials
“Snake oil salesman” is a term coined in the 18th century to describe con artists who sold fake cure-all remedies. But scammers have been trying to separate people and their money with too-good-to-be-true pitches since the first coins were minted centuries ago in Turkey.
In the 21st century, faceless and sophisticated “snake oil” peddlers and deceptive scammers are using social media platforms to capture their prey.
And seniors are often their prime targets. This generation tends to be trusting because they remember a simpler time. They may not be computer challenged and not aware of how their information can be used for nefarious purposes. And in many cases, they have more money to lose than their grandchildren.
Victims of fraud and cybercrime in Canada lost more than $638 million in 2024, according to the Canada Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), and seniors lost almost 40 per cent of the total amount of money stolen.
Facebook can be an ideal hunting ground for bad actors. CAFC estimates $11.3 million in Canada was lost to “grandparent or emergency scams” on Facebook and Instagram in 2023. Fraudsters use stolen Facebook photos and AI-enhanced tactics such as voice cloning to pretend to be a relative in need of emergency money.
More than half of Canadian seniors have Facebook accounts, according to Statistics Canada, a platform where they stay in touch with their children, grandchildren and friends.
In addition, Facebook postings inform about events in the community, help people find lost pets and second-hand bargains, and link users with recipes and other special interest sites. People post death notices and even wedding invitations.
Facebook, rebranded as Meta, can be fun, entertaining and informative. Meta compiles data on users to create demographic lists. Advertisers then pay Meta to show advertisements to specific…
