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Digital Fraud Attempts from Canada Surpass Global Average as Canadians Who Said They Lost Money to Digital Fraud in the Last Year Report Losing a Median of CAD $1,301
Stolen credit card fraud or fraudulent charges were the most commonly reported cause of digital fraud loss in Canada
TORONTO, May 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New analysis from TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) shows that the rate of suspected digital fraud attempts involving consumers located in Canada occurred at a higher rate than the global average in 2025. Based on recent survey findings, 13% of Canadians surveyed reported losing money due to digital fraud (including schemes such as identity theft, phishing and account takeover), with a median reported loss of CAD$1,301, underscoring the potentially serious financial consequences of fraud for Canadian households.
According to TransUnion’s H1 2026 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report, the suspected digital fraud rate* for attempted transactions where the consumer was located in Canada reached 4.4% in 2025, exceeding the global average of 3.8% during the same period. While this represents a decline from 2024 levels, Canada’s suspected digital fraud rate remained elevated relative to global levels during the same period.
Fraud risk appears to be most prevalent at the account login stage, making it one of the higher risk points in the digital consumer lifecycle. In Canada, 14.2% of account login attempts in 2025 were suspected to be fraudulent, more than three times the global average of 4.3%. The suspected fraud rate for account creation attempts in Canada was 4.6%, showing that risk is present earlier in the lifecycle but more concentrated at the login stage.
Multiple Fraud Tactics Underscore Why Canadians Prioritize Data Security
Among the surveyed Canadians who reported losing money to digital fraud over the past year, stolen credit card fraud or fraudulent charges was the most common cause, accounting for 26% of reported losses – significantly higher than the corresponding global rate of 19%. Third-party seller scams on legitimate e-commerce sites followed at 22%, while account takeover incidents represented 21% of losses.
Together, these findings suggest that Canadian fraud losses stem from a wide range of tactics, highlighting the importance of strong personal data security as fraudsters increasingly combine identity misuse with more sophisticated digital techniques.
Most Common Digital Fraud Tactics Reported by Canadians Who Lost Money to Digital Fraud (Past Year)
| Fraud type | Canada | Global | ||
| Stolen credit card or fraudulent charges | 26 | % | 19 | % |
| Third-party seller scams on legitimate ecommerce sites | 22 | % | 24 | % |
| Account takeover | 21 | % | 21 | % |
| Phishing | 20 | % | 20 | % |
| Identity theft | 18 | % | 21 | % |
| Smishing | 15 | % | 18 | % |
| Money mule | 15 | % | 24 | % |
| Vishing | 14 | % | 23 | % |
| Social engineering | 14 | % | 20 | % |
| Unemployment benefits | 7% |
14 | % | |
Source: TransUnion consumer survey
Online Communities and Video Gaming See the Sharpest Rise in Fraud Activity in Canada
Canada’s digital fraud ecosystem appears to have evolved rapidly over the past year with notable divergences across industry sectors. For transactions where the consumer was in Canada in 2025:
- Communities (online dating, forums, etc.) experienced the highest suspected digital fraud attempt rate (11.9%) and the greatest year-over-year (YoY) increase in suspected digital fraud volume (63%) from 2024
- Video gaming followed closely, with an 11.7% suspected digital fraud attempt rate and a 53% increase in suspected digital fraud volume
- Gambling platforms had the third highest rate of suspected digital fraud at 10.9% with a 7% YoY volume increase
By comparison, global trends were more muted in those industries. Worldwide, suspected digital fraud volume in online communities declined 36% YoY, while video gaming saw a more modest increase of 7%. However, gambling increased 27%, higher than Canada. In Canada, several traditionally high‑volume sectors saw notable YoY improvements, with suspected digital fraud volume declining sharply in online retail (73%), logistics (62%) and financial services (32%).
| Industry | Canada suspected digital fraud attempt rate 2025 |
Canada percent change in suspected digital fraud volume from 2024–2025 |
Global suspected digital fraud attempt rate 2025 |
Global percent change in suspected digital fraud volume from 2024-2025 |
||||
| Communities (online dating, forums, etc.) |
11.9 | % | +63 | % | 8.1 | % | -36 | % |
| Video gaming | 11.7 | % | +53 | % | 12.8 | % | +7 | % |
| Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) |
10.9 | % | +7% |
7.7% |
+27 | % | ||
Source: TransUnion global intelligence network
“Canadians are sending a clear signal: trust and data security now sit at the centre of every digital interaction,” said Andrew Sigfrid, Director, Fraud Analytics at TransUnion Canada. “With more than half of Canadians concerned about falling victim to identity theft and nearly eight in ten (78%) saying confidence in personal data security is very important when choosing who to do business with online, organizations should no longer treat security as a backend issue. Protecting personal data is now a frontline expectation and an important differentiator for earning and keeping consumer trust in an increasingly digital economy.”
To learn more about how TransUnion fraud prevention solutions can help businesses guard against fraud and reduce fraud losses, click here.
Methodology
TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud based on a global survey of 12,730 consumers in 18 countries and regions from November 20 to December 9, 2025 and intelligence from its array of TransUnion fraud prevention solutions. 999 consumers were surveyed in Canada from Nov. 20 to Dec. 5, 2025 as part of the global survey.
Specific country and regional data in the report includes Canada, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia.
Download the TransUnion H1 2026 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.
* Suspected digital fraud attempts reflects those which TransUnion clients determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) fraudulent upon client investigation, or 4) a corporate policy violation upon client investigation. The country and regional analyses examined transactions in which the consumer or suspected fraudster was located in a select country or region when conducting a transaction. Global statistics represent every country worldwide and not just the select countries and regions.
About TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU)
TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries, including Canada, where we’re the credit bureau of choice for the financial services ecosystem and most of Canada’s largest banks. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this by providing an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care.
Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.
For more information visit transunion.ca.
| Contact | Manahil Munim |
| Manahil.Munim@edelmansmithfield.com | |
| Telephone | (416) 676-1390 |
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