Achi news desk-
The number of scams targeting Canadians is increasing, and comes in different forms such as phone calls, text messages, and emails.
Recognizing the growing threat, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is adopting a new approach to raising awareness and educating individuals with the knowledge to steer clear of scams, using a unique and interactive escape room.
Patricia Doyle and her husband, Danny Boyle, have been cheated on in the past, an experience they describe as a troubling experience. Now, they’re proving themselves in the ‘Get Smart Escape Room’ at St. John’s Shopping Centre. Laurent.
At the center of the center, inside a distinctive green and yellow cube, there are three rooms, where participants encounter a series of challenges that simulate real-world scam scenarios amid the distractions of everyday life.
While navigating through the rooms, participants must decide if they are being tricked by criminals who use many different deceptive tactics.
The interactive experience takes less than ten minutes and participants receive a score at the end, which reflects their ability to detect fraudulent activity.
“We got 60 per cent, which apparently isn’t bad,” Boyle said. “I didn’t get it right a couple of times. There were challenges and it was fun too.”
“I know a lot of people who have been scammed,” Doyle said. “Especially when [fraudsters] change the wording around and things like that. This is very useful.”
Designed by the Canada Revenue Agency, the escape room aims to educate Canadians about scams and how to protect themselves.
“We’re trying to say to people, let’s try to find out if you can decide what is a real message that you should respond to or not. Whether you’re senior, you’re a newcomer, young, results vary so it’s based on your knowledge. What we’re hoping is that people will learn things and be smarter, more vigilant going forward and not get scammed,” said Charles Drouin, spokesman for the CRA. “Thousands and thousands of Canadians are scammed every year we’ve seen them in the numbers. Fewer than last year, but more and more scams are coming through, so chances are you’ll n actually fell for one there. This is true. That’s why we’re here today, telling people, okay, it could be an email, it could be a text message or something else.”
The surge in reported scam incidents in Canada underscores the urgency of proactive measures. According to the CRA, between 2019 and 2023, the reported losses to fraud have increased dramatically, reaching almost half a billion dollars. Initiatives like the Be Smart Scam Escape Room are essential educational tools to combat this alarming trend.
Later next month, the Be Smart Scam Escape Room will travel to Montreal, and then Halifax, where it will make its way back across Canada, through the GTA, and to Vancouver.
