A recent survey by Interac Corp. shows that more than half of newcomers say they or a member of their immediate family has been a victim of fraud.

7 in 10 new Canadians surveyed believe they are more likely to be a victim of financial fraud than the rest of the population, while 55% of newcomers are very afraid of the possibility of becoming a victim of a scam.

According to the Canadian Census, 135,315 immigrants live in Laval, including 34,265 who arrived between 2011 and 2021.

Many scammers take advantage of the unfamiliar financial environment faced by many immigrants and foreign students arriving in Canada.

The most common scams they face are fake job offers – 40% of new Canadians surveyed have seen them, phishing attempts and scammers posing as representatives of official government institutions.

Only 2 in 10 newcomers surveyed say with certainty that they would know what to do if they were the victim of financial fraud.

Additionally, nearly six in 10 newcomers believe that targeting is affecting their financial confidence.

Gaining financial knowledge can help newbies. The majority of respondents say they want to learn more about how to protect themselves from fraud.

A nationwide online survey was conducted by Discover with 1,202 respondents ages 18 and older.

The sample consisted of 1,000 adult Canadians who were representative of the Canadian adult population according to the most recent census data. There were also 207 newcomers/new Canadians who immigrated to Canada for less than 10 years and 99 foreign students currently studying in Canada.

The survey was conducted from September 28th to October 6th.

(MD/IJL)