Canadians Confident They Can Spot Scams, but Cybersecurity Habits Tell a Different Story
Key Highlights
- ➤65% of Canadians encountered fraudulent messages or online content in the past year
- ➤Only 58% use multi-factor authentication on many financial and social media accounts
- ➤22% reuse the same two or three passwords across multiple accounts
- ➤37% encountered fraudulent emails or texts impersonating banks or government agencies
- ➤20% of Canadians aged 18 to 34 would ignore breach notifications without suspicious activity
Expert Statements
Octavia Howell, Chief Information Security Officer, Equifax Canada
“As Canadians are more exposed to fraudulent communications in everyday interactions, recognizing scams has become increasingly challenging”
Octavia Howell, Chief Information Security Officer, Equifax Canada
“While it's encouraging that consumers feel confident identifying suspicious messages, awareness alone isn't enough. Strong passwords, multi-factor authentication and knowing how to respond when something goes wrong are important parts of protecting personal information.”
Octavia Howell, Chief Information Security Officer, Equifax Canada
“One of the biggest mistakes consumers make is assuming that nothing needs to be done until suspicious activity appears.”
Octavia Howell, Chief Information Security Officer, Equifax Canada
“If your personal information has been exposed, it's important to take the notification seriously, secure affected accounts and watch for unusual activity. Taking a few preventive steps can help reduce the risk of identity theft and financial fraud.”
TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than eight in 10 Canadians surveyed (83 per cent) are confident they can distinguish legitimate communications from scams, yet a new Equifax Canada survey* for Cybersecurity Awareness Month reveals significant gaps in how consumers protect their personal information and online accounts.
Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of Canadians have encountered at least one type of fraudulent message or online content in the past 12 months. Despite widespread confidence in recognizing scams, only 22 per cent describe themselves as “very confident”, while 61 per cent are “somewhat confident”.
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