Scamtones Turns Ringtones Into a Senior’s First Line of Defense

Investment fraud is one of the most devastating and underreported crimes affecting seniors in British Columbia. And it’s only becoming more common. So on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the BC Securities Commission is taking a new approach to the problem, by putting the warning signs of fraud right in seniors’ pockets.

Introducing Scamtones: a set of five original ringtones that speak to the five key warning signs of investment fraud, designed to help protect seniors from investment scammers when they call. Each track is written in a genre older Canadians love - Motown, jazz, rockabilly, American heartland, and classic country - but the lyrics carry a serious message: how to spot and stop a scam before it happens.

“Scamtones is a solution for the generation that still has their phones on loud,” said Dave Farthing, associate creative director at creative agency ONE23WEST. “Launching a campaign centred around ringtones might sound a bit odd in 2025, but that’s kind of the point. It’s a fun way to speak to a very serious issue - one that’s hurting way too many people.”

The campaign drives people to scamtones.ca, where visitors can listen to each track and download them as ringtones. As the installation of ringtones requires a bit of tech know-how, the site encourages younger Canadians to help their grandparents set them up - turning a small gesture into something that could make a real difference.

To reach grandkids where they scroll, the campaign includes animations created for TikTok and Instagram. Each animation mimics an incoming scam call using the phone’s interface, then flips into playful performances that bring the ringtones, and their warnings, to life.

“This is about meeting people where they are, in a way that actually sticks,” said Pamela McDonald, director of communications and Education at the BC Securities Commission. “Seniors and older adults are vulnerable to Investment scams due to factors like social isolation and cognitive decline, and it’s getting harder to spot a scam. As phone call scams get more sophisticated, why not make the ringtone part of the defence?”

Scamtones launches June 12 and will be supported through online media on Meta, TikTok and Spotify.