The Conversation (0)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a useful tool for everyday productivity, but it has also become a weapon for cyber criminals who are targeting Canadians' personal data with increasingly sophisticated threats. As cybercrime has grown to become the third-largest economy in the world 1 the average Canadian may not yet fully understand the scale or nature of the risks they face.
"Generative AI is transforming cybercrime, enabling fraudsters to automate scams, create deepfakes, and exploit the digital footprints Canadians leave behind every day," said Adam Evans , Chief Information Security Officer at RBC. "Managing your digital persona is now a crucial part of protecting your most valuable asset: your data."
Key findings from recent RBC polls:
- Top concerns: 84 per cent of Canadians are concerned about identity theft, 80 per cent about online fraud , and 79 per cent about corporate data breaches.
- Scam awareness and fatigue: Almost all respondents (98 per cent) reported seeing more targeted and sophisticated scams, with 89 per cent noting a rise in scam attempts compared to previous years. A majority (86 per cent) believe it is becoming harder to recognize scams, while 65 per cent report feeling fatigued by constant vigilance. One-third (33 per cent) admit to occasionally letting their guard down, highlighting the risk of ' fraud fatigue'.
- Protective behaviours: While 92 per cent of Canadians update software and operating systems at least sometimes, only 70 per cent do so consistently. Similarly, 88 per cent enable privacy and security settings, with just 65 per cent reporting they do this regularly.
Data exhaust – the digital traces people leave behind when browsing websites and social media, using apps or even smart-home devices – can offer valuable insights into consumer behaviour and help companies improve services. But the volume of information makes it an attractive target for cyberattacks. With generative AI, criminals can harvest and enrich this data to scale their attacks faster, cheaper and often tailored to individuals, making it harder than ever for people and businesses to tell what's real and what's fake.
Practical steps to stay safe online
- Watch for AI-enabled scams: Look for inconsistencies in tone in emails, calls, or video chats, and be alert to unusual movements on video calls that could indicate deepfakes or face-swapping.
- Consistently enable security and privacy settings and use strong, unique passwords.
- Remain skeptical of unusual requests for personal information or money.
- Monitor accounts and personal information for unusual activity.
- Report cyber threats or scams to help protect yourself and others.
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"Canadians can empower themselves by being more vigilant and careful about the information they put online, using a virtual private network (VPN) to hide their digital activity and actively cleaning up their data exhaust to help protect against increased threats," adds Evans.
For more resources, tips, and up-to-date scam alerts, visit rbc.com/cyber .
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 101,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada , the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com .
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/peopleandplanet .
For more information, please contact:
Kiara Famularo , Corporate Communications, RBC
SOURCE RBC
