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This graph shows the distribution of mass marketing fraud solicitation methods in Canada in 2014, by number of Canadian complainants. Solicitation by mail accounted for complaints of mass marketing fraud in Canada in 2014.

Mass marketing fraud

Mass-marketing fraud is any fraud strategy that involves the use of mass solicitation mediums such as email, phone, internet, or mail. Some of the most typical mass marketing fraud schemes are phishing and vishing (where the victim is fooled into giving sensitive details to someone they think is a legitimate representative of a financial institution), advance fee fraud (schemes like the Nigerian prince scam or lottery scams where the victim is promised a substantial amount of money if they will pay some fees first), overpayment fraud (where the attacker sends the victim a counterfeit check for more money than the cost of a rental or goods and asks the victim to refund them the difference), and auction and retail fraud (where the victim purchases goods online but is sent a counterfeit or item of lesser value).

With the increased prevalence of the internet and smartphones, the opportunity for fraudsters has increased as well. In 2014, there were *complaints of mass-marketing fraud attempts registered by Canadians, an increase of * percent over 2012. More often than not, the attacker does not reside in the same country as their victim. Only ** percent of the fraud complaints registered by Canadians in 2014 were directed at attackers originating in Canada. The economic damage suffered by Canadian victims of mass marketing fraud totaled nearly ** million Canadian dollars in 2014.