Calls from fraudsters trying to scam people out of money or personal information continues to be a concern.

Keeping up with the latest scam is becoming more complicated as scammers get creative in finding ways to part people from their money.

Shawna-Kay Thomas, Media Relations Representative for the Better Business Bureau (BBB) says the amount of money victims are losing to scammers is in the thousands of dollars according to the statistics from 2019.

'Unfortunately the calls are not stopping" said Thomas

According to the BBB many of the the top scams could paint a picture of the poor economic climate in our country. Notably the top scam on the list the 'Time Share Re-sale' scam, is one where someone looking to sell their time share is asked to pay administration fees and other charges prior to the sale going through. Victims of this scam were duped on average of about $5000 each.

Coming in at number two is the 'Advance Fee Loan' scam, where fraudsters scooped about $1,450 from victims looking to get a loan. This scam has been around for a while and Thomas says paying a fee up front in order to qualify for a loan is illegal in Canada.

"Once you are asked to pay money up front to get a loan, you walk away from that." she adds, "Usually they target people who may not qualify for a loan with a reputable financial institution. They may say what ever your credit score is, you're approved. Those are red flags we look out for." explained Thomas.

Surprisingly this year the CRA scam did not make the top 10 list of riskiest scams although Thomas says they still get reports from people who get these calls. She says it seems people are not losing as much money to the scam.

"People are more aware of what to do when they get the calls. They simply hang up." she said.

Romance scams continue to be a problem across Canada with the average age of victims being between 44 - 55 years old and according to the BBB stats, on average each victim was duped out of $4000.

"Scammers play on your vulnerability, your need for companionship, and your emotions come into play and they go along with that and before you know it you are losing money. They are asking you for money, then you're sending money and you are never able to meet them in person." explained Thomas.

Thomas says common places scammers look for victims is on any social media sites and on-line dating sites.

"Once they start asking for money and they need it for so called 'emergencies', those are red flags that we ask consumers to look out for and just keep away from those relationships."

Thomas recommends if you are looking for love that you look in the right places and do your research to make sure these companies or people are not just trying to rip you off.

"We say don't spend the money at all." advised Thomas.

If you do find yourself caught up in a scam the BBB does have some direction on where to go for help.

"If it is a financial scam or credit card you want to contact your financial institution immediately, and then you call the local police and the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre." advised Thomas.

Ultimately consumers need to be vigilant with their money and personal information to protect against scammers trying to pick their pockets and use personal information they glean from victims toward their own gain.

The Better Business Bureau has a list of scams on their website.