Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Jun, 2023 10:14 AM
Mounties in Metro Vancouver have issued a warning about what they describe as a sophisticated new "grandparent scam."
Richmond -R-C-M-P say the scam -- in which fraudsters try to convince seniors that a loved one is in trouble and needs money -- has been around for years.
But recently they say scammers have started using artificial intelligence and digital manipulation to alter the voice in the phone call in order to sound more authentic.
The Mounties are urging people never to provide their personal, banking or credit card information over the phone.
It says the victims and those accused of reported hate crimes are most often men and boys. In British Columbia, religious hate crime reports more than doubled to 150 in 2021, while in Alberta they tripled to 91 incidents.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne has tabled legislation that would create a corporate beneficial ownership registry. The prospective registry is expected to have the goal of making it easier to identify owners of corporations who launder money, commit financial crimes or evade taxes.
The deadline to apply for a three-year emergency visa was originally March 31, but Ukrainians and their family members will now be able to apply until July 15. After that date, Ukrainians will still be able to apply for traditional work, study and visitor permits to come to Canada after the application period expires, but they will be charged the usual fees associated with those applications.
In downtown Ottawa Wednesday, about 20 police vehicles circled the area as U.S. flags were strung up near Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's official office and the main street in front of Parliament Hill. Meanwhile, workers were busy installing fences to prepare for the visit.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Wendy Baker's judgment says the defamation claims had "substantial merit," but found Stewart's statements were not malicious and were fair game because the issues were in the public interest and had been widely reported.
The federal government says it will spend up to $1.5 billion over the next three years to improve access to drugs used to treat rare diseases. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says up to $1.4 billion of that money will be used to help provinces and territories expand coverage of new and existing drugs that treat rare diseases.
