New call center launched to combat global scams in Canada

A group of well-known scambusters is working to fight phone and online scams by creating a fraud-fighting call center. They are targeting organized crime groups that operate from different countries and often target vulnerable people. These scambusters have a combined following of over 10 million and aim to disrupt the scams affecting Canadians. One of the scambusters, Jim Browning, is recognized for his efforts in infiltrating scam call centers. He gathers evidence about the scammers and shares it with authorities. His experience has helped shut down various scam operations worldwide. For example, a video he produced about a scam in Dubai led to the arrest of 2,000 scam call center workers. Another key figure, Pleasant Green, focuses on educating both scam victims and scammers. He aims to persuade fraudsters to leave their illegal activities and teaches people how to recognize scams. In one instance, he helped prevent a woman from losing money by alerting her bank and the police while she was under pressure from a scammer. Kitboga, a popular YouTube and Twitch streamer, uses humor to disrupt scammers. By pretending to be a victim, he wastes their time, preventing them from targeting real victims. He has even created free software to help people block scams and detect threats. Scams continue to be a significant issue in Canada. In 2024, total losses from cybercrime reached over $630 million. Phone scams were particularly damaging, causing Canadians to lose more than $73 million last year. Experts agree that education is crucial in the fight against fraud, and collaborations like this are helping to expose scams and protect potential victims.