The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that the Ontario Securities Commission is finding a big increase in on-line scams and fraud, largely driven by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. The Globe's Alexandra Posadzki writes that this rise in scams is occurring amid an unpredictable geopolitical environment, according to OSC head Grant Vingoe. "We're in an environment where there's more scams, more fraud, more insider trading, more corruption, enabled by an atmosphere in which anything goes and the traditional norms are not being observed as they have in the past," he said. "The unpredictability of the geopolitical environment leads to an environment where people who are interested in doing wrong will find a place." Fraud victims reported a total of $648-million in losses to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre last year, a figure that likely represents just a fraction of the actual fraud that occurred. The OSC's Bonnie Lysyk says the securities watchdog is being "inundated" with fraud cases. She says the anti-fraud centre can only answer about 10 per cent of the calls it receives. She says at least 2,000 files have been referred to the OSC in the past year and a half.