“The man from the bank was very nice,” said Grandma over the phone one Monday evening. “He said he just wanted to run a security check, so I ran and got my card.”

Oh no, we thought. We were quickly able to contact the bank to verify that all was OK with her account. She hadn’t been able to see all the numbers (she’s 92) and began to think something was up when the “bank man” started yelling at her.

When we got her on the phone with her actual bank, they reassured her that the bank would never make a “security check” call like that; it was a scam.

Save with SPP took a look around to see what other scams are out there that we – particularly the older and more vulnerable among us – should watch out for.

According to the Toronto.com website, “Canadians have lost a staggering $447 million through various scams and fraud through the first nine months of 2024.”

Of that total, the article continues, $228 million was lost in “investment fraud alone from January to September of 2024.”

An investment scam, the article notes, occurs when “the scammer may try to get you to buy digital currencies, stocks, bonds, or real estate, or to invest in a business directly,” the Competition Bureau Canada states in the article.

“Fraudsters often use social media, dating apps, online ads or websites telling investors to act now while promising high returns,” the article adds.

The Globe and Mail notes that $45 million has been lost “to phone-initiated fraud” like Grandma experienced. That figure “captures only a fraction of the suspected financial carnage,” the Globe notes. “The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre estimates that a mere five to 10 per cent of victims actually report” the fraud.

In addition to investment scams and phone fraud, the Asterisk blog warns about “social media scams” which often consist of “false advertisements… that promise job opportunities, discounted merchandise, or free trials.” Clicking on these could lead to “identity theft and stolen passwords,” the blog warns.

Another category is called “spear fishing,” Asterisk reports. “Be aware of texts and email messages, which appear to be from a legitimate source, that say someone is trying to access your account. Never respond to the text or email, and do not click on any links.”

These messages may purport to be from someone you do business with – the bank, the post office, Amazon, or the government.

“The golden rule is that if you’re unsure, don’t click. Opening a fraudulent link can potentially infect your device or compromise your data. Instead, reach out to the government agency directly by looking up their official contact information,” the blog advises. “If you’re concerned about these messages, especially if they are ongoing, call your financial institution directly to find out if they’re trying to get in touch with you.”

Another category is employment scams, Asterisk continues.

For example, the blog reports, “Instagram direct messages that claim someone received your resume through a job posting site and is interested in hiring you. It is common for scammers to ask for personal details, financial information and even pretend to send you an advance ‘digital payment.’ However, after you deposit the money, you’ll get a call from your financial institution that the cheque was counterfeit,” the blog warns.

Similar scams involve “car wrapping,” being hired as a “financial agent” to help process invoices or offers for you to be a mystery shopper or personal assistant, the blog cautions.

We’ve all heard (and friends have experienced) the “grandparent scam,” where someone calls saying it is your grandson and that he needs bail money quick to get out of jail. Or the Canada Revenue Scam where a recorded voice says you are about to be arrested for tax evasion unless you contact a random number first. Artificial Intelligence can make any scam sound plausible.

The takeaway is to be skeptical about the reality of any unsolicited call. It costs you nothing to hang up – it might cost you plenty to stay on the line. As our parents used to say, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.”

Are you among the millions of Canadians who does not have a retirement program through work? There’s a handy resource you should be aware of – the Saskatchewan Pension Plan. SPP is an open, voluntary defined contribution plan that any Canadian with available registered retirement savings plan room can join.

Sign up and start contributing, and SPP will do all the rest, investing your savings in a professionally managed, low fee pooled fund. At retirement, you’ll have options, including the possibility of a lifetime monthly annuity payment or the more flexible Variable Benefit.

Check out SPP today!

Join the Wealthcare Revolution – follow SPP on Facebook!

If you’re nest-egg is getting a short-term pinch, it’s time to make do with less for a while

Those of us who are living on income from our retirement savings – drawing down from a big nest egg – are probably feeling like they are a GPS system in a car these days. Thanks to volatile investment conditions, the route has changed – and it’s time to recalculate.

An article on the Toronto.com site offers some interesting tips on how to cope with unpredictable income from volatile markets.

Those who “have seen that your stocks have been hit hard,” and who “realize they could fall further,” need “to act cautiously to bolster your finances without necessarily doing anything drastic, at least for now,” the article suggests.

“One simple but smart strategy is to find sensible ways to trim your spending once day-to-day living conditions return closer to normal. The comparison point is your expenditures before the (pandemic) struck,” the article explains. Don’t, the folks at Toronto.com add, base your “back to normal” spending on what you were doing during the pandemic, as “that doesn’t provide a useful model for spending prudently in normal times,” the article advises.

“A planned trim to spending is something you can do quickly; you can cut just what you feel you need to, then loosen the purse strings later when your portfolio eventually recovers. If conditions get worse, you can cut further, but only when and if required,” the article states.

The article points out that at age 65, the rule of thumb is that you need $25 of invested income for every dollar you want to take out and spend. If you expect your income will be depleted due to poor markets, it’s a time to take out less, not more, the article notes.

“While the relationship between spending and the current size of your portfolio will usually vary in subsequent years after you retire, you get the picture that you need a pretty sizable chunk of money in your nest egg to support each $1 of spending. So if you can cut a chunk out of spending without hurting your lifestyle too much, you can take a lot of pressure off a stressed portfolio and increase the odds your savings will last as long as you need it to.”

This great advice is worth heeding.

Members of the Saskatchewan Pension Plan can choose a different approach to managing their retirement income. An option they can choose is the life annuity – with this approach, SPP converts some or all of your account balance at retirement to a guaranteed, monthly payment that you’ll receive every month for the rest of your life. It can continue to a spouse or other beneficiary depending on what annuity option you select. Annuity recipients don’t have to worry about market conditions – however threatening the financial weather may be, they get the same amount every month.

Written by Martin Biefer
	Martin Biefer is Senior Pension Writer at Avery & Kerr Communications in Nepean, Ontario. A veteran reporter, editor and pension communicator, he’s now a freelancer. Interests include golf, line dancing, classic rock, and darts. You can follow him on Twitter – his handle is @AveryKerr22