Scams are on the rise in the country. To educate people on how to recognize and avoid them, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is rolling out an activation in several cities.
The activation, “Be Scam Smart Escape Room,” is an interactive room where mallgoers find a series of challenges that simulate real-world scam scenarios. Participants need to decide if they are being tricked by scheming criminals using different deception tactics. At the end of the experience, participants receive a score that reflects their ability to detect fraudulent activities. The interactive area, which opened on March 21 at Ottawa’s St. Laurent mall, targets seniors, young adults and newcomers. “However, based on the results of the first iteration in Ottawa, CRA has learned that anyone can be a victim of scams,” a company’s spokesperson tells MiC.
The CRA plans to bring the interactive room to additional malls in other locations by May 26, including Montreal, Mississauga, Dartmouth, and Vancouver. The creative AOR for CRA, Feast Interactive, and marketing agency Proof Experiences are in charge of the activation, which is being promoted on CRA’s social networks. There is no media buying for it.
“Feast recommended malls as the primary location for this activation as malls typically have high
foot traffic, making them ideal locations for reaching a large number of participants,” Feast’s creative director Ante Kovac says. “Mall activations often generate user-generated content on social media platforms, extending the reach of the campaign beyond the physical location.”
The activation is the experiential component of CRA’s “Be Scam Smart” campaign, launched in fall 2023 to combat fraudulent activity affecting people across the country. The campaign, which also targeted young people, seniors and newcomers, included a series of 15-second ads that encouraged Canadians to be aware of scams. The spots were launched on CTV, radio, digital audio, digital OOH advertising, banner ads, multicultural websites and online media. Cossette handled the media buying, with Feast on the creative side.
According to CRA data, reported fraud losses soared between 2019 and 2023, reaching nearly $500 million.
