The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) published an investor alert highlighting three scam trends and misleading tactics it expects Alberta investors to encounter in 2026, alongside practical steps to reduce fraud risk. The ASC points to the growing use of deepfakes and other AI-generated impersonations to promote fraudulent investment and crypto schemes, including content that appears to show public figures or well-known Canadians endorsing opportunities that promise quick or guaranteed returns and increasingly sophisticated cloned voices and realistic likenesses. It also flags fraudsters’ use of private messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram to move targets into group chats that build trust and amplify reach through personal networks, often steering victims into pump-and-dump or crypto scams. A third area is “finfluencers” and the risk of unregistered advice where monetization models can blur the line between education and personalized recommendations, noting that generally anyone offering investments or personalized advice must be registered with the ASC or another provincial securities regulator. The alert cites Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre research indicating Canadians lost more than CAD 310 million to investment scams in 2024, and directs investors to verify registration through CheckFirst.ca and report suspicious activity to the ASC.
Alberta Securities Commission 2026-01-19
Alberta Securities Commission warns investors about deepfakes, private messaging app schemes and finfluencers in 2026
The Alberta Securities Commission issued an investor alert identifying three scam trends expected in 2026, including AI-generated impersonations, use of private messaging apps for fraudulent schemes, and risks from "finfluencers" offering unregistered advice. The alert advises investors to verify registration through CheckFirst.ca and report suspicious activities to the ASC.