BC Securities Commission is warning about investment fraud through song.
Timed to coincide with this weekend’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the provincial government agency has unveiled “Scamtones,” a set of ringtones written with older Canadians in mind. The five original songs include a 30-second rockabilly hero spot in the vein of Johnny Cash by agency partner One23West.
“This is about meeting people where they are, in a way that actually sticks,” says 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 is a solution for the generation that still has their phones on loud,” adds Dave Farthing, associate creative director at 123W. “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 the scamtones.ca microsite, where visitors can download the tracks as ringtones.
The site encourages younger Canadians to use their tech know-how to help their grandparents install the ringtones.
To reach the younger generation where they scroll, the campaign includes animations created for TikTok and Instagram. Each animation mimics an incoming scam call, then flips into performances that bring the ringtones, and their warnings, to life.
“Scamtones” launched on Thursday with support through online media on Meta, TikTok and Spotify.
Media was bought and managed internally by 123W.
Earlier this year, BC Securities Commission used a “We Are the World”-style singalong to sound the alarm over AI schemes.
