---
title: "Toronto police warn of AI-powered scams as impersonation fraud passes $50 million this year"
description: "Toronto Police Service detective says the city has received around 17,000 fraud reports so far in 2026, with one in six now involving someone pretending to be a bank or telecom agent, helped by artificial intelligence."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/tps-ai-impersonation-scams-october-28"
last_updated: "2026-10-29T14:06:47.626Z"
---

Impersonation scams aided by artificial intelligence have grown into the top fraud category seen by the Toronto Police Service, a detective from the force's Financial Crimes Unit said on October 28, 2026. CityNews Toronto reported that Detective David Coffey told Breakfast Television that TPS has received around 17,000 fraud reports so far in 2026, and one in six of those are impersonation scams in which suspects pretend to be agents of a bank, a telecom, or another known organization.

As of mid-October, over $50 million had been stolen, Coffey said. "It's our number one type of fraud that we see and it covers such a wide range of different types of scams, but it's devastating to people," he told CityNews.

## How the scams work

CityNews Toronto reported that AI now lets fraudsters call a victim already knowing their name, their bank, and sometimes the last four digits of their bank card. That information makes the call sound real and helps callers pressure victims to withdraw money.

"A person will receive a phone call and because of artificial intelligence when they call now they know more about us," Coffey said. "They know our name, they know what bank they use, they may know the last four digits of our bank card, so they utilize that information to convince people and compel them to go down and withdraw all their money."

Coffey told CityNews that different scams follow the same structure: create fear, then appear as the solution to that fear. "They are getting people into an emotional state using social engineering, and then they provide themselves as the answer to that panic and that emergency," he said.

## What to do if a call triggers panic

Coffey said fear can work in a resident's favor if they recognize the tactic. If a call creates immediate panic, that feeling is a reason to stop, not to act fast.

"Urgency to me means slow down, it doesn't mean speed up," he told CityNews. He advises hanging up the phone and calling the bank, the police, or whatever organization the caller claimed to represent, using a number found independently. Do not let the caller do the verification, he said, because they will guide it in a way that benefits themselves.

## What residents can do

Toronto residents who receive a suspicious call can hang up and call back using the number on the back of their bank card or on a statement. Suspected fraud can also be reported to the Toronto Police Service or to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The TPS non-emergency line is available for reports that do not require an immediate police response.

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