Canadian Center For Women's Empowerment (CCFWE)

Romance scams are among the most common types of fraud in Canada. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians lost more than $50.3 million in 2023 alone. These scams often begin with connection and trust, and over time can become a form of economic abuse, using emotional manipulation to cause financial harm. For many people, there can be a deep sense of shame or hesitation in talking about what’s happened. These experiences are more common than we think, and no one deserves to go through them alone. Learning to recognize the signs is one way to stay informed and support yourself and others. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/esHEhuY4 Explore the fact sheet, resources, and webinar. #EconomicAbuse #OnlineSafety #CCFWE #FPM2026

Thank you to the National Employment Equity Council for your leadership. We are honored to join the Council and look forward to working together.

Fraud is not just a financial crime. For survivors of economic abuse, it is part of a broader pattern of control, coercion, and harm. This Anti-Fraud Month, Mesi Haileyesus, Executive Director at CCFWE and Co-Founder of the International Coalition Against Economic Abuse, reflects on insights from the Global Fraud Summit in Vienna and what it will take to build financial systems that truly protect everyone. Read our latest blog to learn why a victim-centred approach is essential to fraud prevention and what Canada can do to lead: https://lnkd.in/eMC72Sfb #FPM2026 #EconomicSafety #EconomicAbuse #FinancialInclusion #CCFWE

If you are experiencing financial abuse or a scam, you are not alone. Scams and financial exploitation often target those already in vulnerable situations. Taking action is a powerful step toward protecting yourself and your future. If something feels wrong, trust your instincts and act quickly: • Report to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre • Contact your bank and ask for support • Report suspicious texts or messages • Report fraudulent websites to the Competition Bureau Canada • Reach out to local police if needed Your safety matters. Your financial independence matters. At CCFWE, we stand with survivors and are working to ensure systems respond with care, dignity, and protection. Canadian Bankers Association RBC Interac Corp. Reporting not only protects you it helps protect others. #FinancialSafety #EndEconomicAbuse #FraudAwareness #YouAreNotAlone #CCFWE

A recent survey commissioned by Interac Corp. highlights a growing concern: 58% of Canadians have encountered tariff-related scams in the past six months, often through deceptive messages about delayed shipments or unexpected customs fees. At CCFWE, we recognize that fraud is evolving rapidly, with perpetrators leveraging current events and emerging technologies to exploit vulnerabilities. Encouragingly, Canadians are responding with greater caution and awareness in their online interactions. However, awareness alone is not enough. Continued education, survivor-centered supports, and coordinated action across sectors are essential to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated scams and to protect those most at risk. Click to read more: https://ow.ly/JvZR50YwlMO

Our three co-founders on the opening day of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Follow for updates. Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs OBE, CF Mesi - Meseret Haileyesus Rebecca Glenn #CSW70

Thank you Canadian Bankers Association!

CCFWE was honoured to join the Parliament press conference for the official launch of the National Employment Equity Council. Our founder, Meseret Haileyesus, spoke in support of strengthening and amending the Employment Equity Act, a critical step toward shaping a more inclusive future of work in Canada. This is about more than policy. It is about ensuring women, especially Black women, have equitable access to employment, leadership, and long term economic security. It is also about advancing pay equity and closing persistent wage gaps that continue to limit women’s economic potential and financial independence. Economic security does not happen by chance. It is built through policy, systems, and accountability. Proud to stand alongside labour unions, Amnesty International Canada, Black Class Action Secretariat, the New Brunswick Provincial Council for People of African Descent, and Enchanté Network. Nicholas Marcus Thompson

MEET THE SPEAKERS Rhiannon Wong Technology Safety Project Manager, Women’s Shelters Canada Rhiannon Wong is the Project Manager for Women’s Shelters Canada’s new Technology Safety Canada project. Through her project addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence, Rhiannon has been developing practical technology safety resources and training for Canadian anti-violence workers that addresses how technology can be used both to keep survivors safe and misused by perpetrators to commit crimes of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, impersonation and harassment. Rhiannon was selected as a member of the official Canadian delegation to the 67th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, where she presented Tech Safety Canada. Julie Kuzmic Head of Consumer Advocacy and Compliance, Equifax Canada Co. Julie Kuzmic is Equifax Canada’s Head of Consumer Advocacy and Compliance and a self-described “credit score dork.” She is known for decoding complex credit topics with humour and analogies, focusing on the fair treatment of consumers while representing their voice to regulators and the media. A go-to media expert, Julie has appeared live on BNN Bloomberg, CP24, and Global TV, and provided commentary for a multitude of additional outlets. Julie participates in a number of panels and committees including the Consumer Protection Advisory Committee of the FCAC and the Consumer Advisory Panel of Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA). She is also a member of the CCFWE Finance and Banking Services Committee. Promise or Problem: AI’s Role in Fraud and Economic Empowerment Date: Monday, March 30 Time: 1:00–2:30 p.m. EST Location: Virtual Register today: https://lnkd.in/eY-56TUN

On Monday, CCFWE submitted its recommendations to the government on the Code of Conduct on the Prevention of Economic Abuse.   We emphasized the need for a survivor-driven approach, stronger mandatory protections, and a shift toward not only responding to economic abuse, but for financial institutions to proactively preventing economic abuse. Our submission outlines practical measures banks can implement to make financial services safer and more equitable for those experiencing economic abuse, drawing on best practices from Canada, Australia, and the UK.   We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the government and are grateful to the many organizations that endorsed our submission. Read the full submission: https://lnkd.in/eDyHZi9x Prosper Canada, Women's Shelters Canada, DAWN Canada, Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Counselling and Family Service Ottawa / Service familial et counseling Ottawa, Federation of Medical Women of Canada, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Rural Development Network (RDN), Battered Women's Support Services, Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, National Association of Women and the Law | L’Association nationale Femmes et Droit (NAWL | ANFD) Finance Canada / Finances Canada WAGE / FEGC