Shoppers in Midtown Plaza were put to the test last week with the Canada Revenue Agency escape room which tests the public to boost their knowledge about scams and fraud.

Joanne de Waal, Communications Manager for the CRA, says the room gets participants to differentiate between real and fake CRA messages by means of mail, email, phone call, and text message.

“Scammers are getting so creative and innovative, so the Canada Revenue Agency had to do the same. We found a fun, safe way to educate people that you learn through experience.”

She says last year, Canadians who reported their scams lost nearly $500 million, and only 5-10 per cent of victims report the crime.

De Waal has some good news about the activity’s stop in Saskatoon.

“Here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, we got out first 100 per cent (escape room score). The average throughout the country is anywhere between 60 and 70 per cent, which just tells us that there’s a lot that we could all learn about scams.”

The interactive display has been traveling across Canada since last spring, and it’s now off to its final stop in Winnipeg.

De Wall reminds the public that if you’ve been a victim of fraud, you need to contact the police, because it is a crime.