The committee was studying the abuse and financial vulnerability of senior women. Appearing were Dr. Pamela Williamson, Chairperson, and Dr. Christine Kelly, Member, from the National Seniors Council, and Chris Lynam, Director General of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Dr. Williamson and Dr. Kelly described the National Seniors Council’s work on issues intersecting with financial vulnerability, including a 2024 report recommending a new age-at-home benefit, increased guaranteed income supplement, and affordable housing, and a 2019 report on financial crimes against seniors that highlighted rising fraud sophistication, barriers to reporting, and the need for stronger regulation and community support. They noted ongoing council work on housing and cost-of-living pressures, and their engagement with Finance Canada on a voluntary code of conduct for federally regulated financial institutions to prevent economic abuse. Dr. Kelly added that the voluntary code’s exclusion of provincially regulated credit unions was a gap needing further thought.
Chris Lynam explained that the RCMP and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre focus on prevention through public education, partnerships with financial institutions and community groups, and a new online reporting system that has doubled reports. He noted that senior women are disproportionately affected by romance scams, with 62% of reports from women over 60, and emphasized that reporting fraud is critical for protection and enforcement. He acknowledged resource constraints but said the centre works with partners to pursue fraudsters and recover funds, and recommended that Canadians talk to seniors about common scams like the grandparents scam. He disagreed with no other witness directly.
On questions about financial insecurity, Dr. Williamson stated that poverty increases vulnerability for senior women but did not comment on specific pension discrepancies. Mr. Lynam said he had no data linking personal financial struggles to fraud susceptibility but stressed prevention messaging. He supported expanding multisectoral cooperation and noted that financial institutions and tech platforms have responsibilities to flag suspicious activity. He declined to recommend expanding the definition of coercive control in Bill C-16 beyond intimate partners, saying he was not well placed to advise. He also said he could not speak to human trafficking of seniors but would provide data on urban versus rural fraud trends if requested.
The committee then moved in camera to consider draft reports on section 810 of the Criminal Code and anti-feminism.
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