Recent studies from the National Council on Disability and reports from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) confirm that people with disabilities experience a significantly higher rate of fraud and identity theft than the general population. Scammers often impersonate government representatives from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), CRA, Service Canada, etc; And because disabled individuals often have more frequent interactions with these government programs, an unexpected call or text about benefits is perhaps less suspicious.
Why the increased susceptibility?
Several studies report that people with disabilities more likely to experience loneliness and social isolation. Scammers use romance schemes to build rapport over time by creating an emotional connection hoping the victim will send money for a pretend emergency. Also known as pig butchering, the goal is for the scammer to “fatten up” the victim by giving them attention before exploiting them financially.
Urgency
Scammers create urgency to provoke fear or excitement in order to get victims to act quickly without thinking or verifying information.
Threats
Scammers will claim their target is under investigation for money laundering, drug related crimes or child trafficking. They may utilize deepfake or AI to produce images or videos to convince their mark that the threat is real. Threats of arrest, threats of deportation, threats of large fines, etc;
Not so helpful tech support
Modern security like Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) and Two Factor Authentication (2FA) can be difficult for those with cognitive or visual disabilities. Scammers offer fake tech support to help, only to install remote access software that can spy on victims and steal their passwords.
Work from home jobs can be a red flag?
Since many people with disabilities face barriers to onsite employment, scammers flood social media with fake work from home jobs that require an upfront deposit or training fee.
Fake Online Pharmacies
Those in need of expensive medications or treatment are easy targets for scammers. Fake pharmacies promise discounts for Disability Tax Credit (DTC) or ODSP clients but only exist to steal sensitive information such as health and credit card numbers.