October is Investor Education Month in Canada, and October 5–11 marked World Investor Week, a global initiative focused on strengthening investor education and protection. This year’s primary themes were investor resilience, digital deception and scam awareness, reflecting the changing risks investors face as more financial information and investment opportunities move online.
To mark Investor Education Month, the Canadian Securities Administrators are encouraging Canadians to stay focused on their long-term financial goals, critically assess information they encounter online and take steps to protect themselves from investment fraud. This includes checking whether an individual or firm is registered before investing, being cautious about unsolicited investment offers and recognizing that promises of high returns with little or no risk are a common warning sign of fraud.
There are several resources investors can use to put these lessons into practice:
- Check registration: The CSA’s National Registration Search can help you confirm whether an individual or firm is registered to sell investments or provide investment advice.
- Stay informed about potential risks: CSA Investor Alerts identify firms and individuals that may pose a risk to investors, while its Investor Tools provide information on avoiding fraud and conducting due diligence.
- Know the signs of relationship investment scams: World Investor Week resources explain how these increasingly sophisticated scams can begin through social media, dating apps, online groups or an unexpected message before trust is used to introduce a fraudulent investment opportunity.
Investor education is an important part of investor protection. Taking the time to verify who you are dealing with, question investment claims, and use trusted sources can help you make more informed decisions and recognize potential fraud before putting your money at risk.
Explore the CSA’s investor tools and resources.
Learn more about World Investor Week and relationship investment scam