As AI-powered scams spread rapidly across Canada in 2025, Investigation Hotline is proving that traditional investigative expertise can still outsmart digital deception.
When Mitchell Dubros founded Investigation Hotline three decades ago, private investigation was built on surveillance, document analysis, and face-to-face detective work. Today, his Toronto-based team faces a very different battlefield: AI-driven fraud schemes that would have been unimaginable in the 1990s.
This shift marks a sweeping transformation in the investigation industry, where time-tested methodologies are being retooled to expose increasingly sophisticated digital scams.
For Investigation Hotline, which operates with a network of specialists serving clients across Canada and internationally, these emerging AI-based threats present both significant challenges and new business opportunities.
“The core principles of investigation work haven’t shifted,” notes Dubros, whose firm has earned over 250 five-star reviews and multiple Top Choice awards. “Whether we’re tracking a cheating spouse or examining AI-generated fraud, our approach centers on gathering evidence, identifying patterns, and proving what actually happened. What’s different now is the complexity of the technology we’re dealing with.”
Modern Deception: Beyond Deepfakes
Deepfakes may dominate the headlines, but they’re just one part of a growing wave of digital fraud. Scammers are deploying increasingly creative methods:
- Phishing 2.0 – Fake company emails and SMS messages mimic trusted brands like banks, Amazon, or FedEx. Victims are tricked into clicking urgent “account update” or “delivery change” prompts designed to steal information.
- Voice Cloning – With just a few seconds of audio from a social media clip or online presentation, criminals can replicate a person’s voice convincingly. Victims are often persuaded during fraudulent calls to transfer money, with the average loss topping $16,000. Contrary to stereotypes, most cases involve young professionals rather than seniors.
- Romance Scams – AI-generated photos, fabricated profiles, and even fake video calls allow scammers to build convincing online identities. They invest months building trust and emotional connections before requesting money.
“We’re seeing a complete shift in who gets targeted,” says Dubros. “It’s younger people, professionals in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, who assume they’re too tech-savvy to fall for a scam. But today’s fraud is so advanced that even security experts get fooled.”
Adapting Traditional Expertise to Digital Threats
Investigation Hotline’s network of specialists offers a full range of professional services, including infidelity investigations, asset identification, corporate investigations, missing persons investigations, child custody investigations, surveillance detection, insurance fraud investigations, and digital investigations covering cyber fraud and digital evidence recovery.
Despite technological advances, one principle hasn’t changed: the value of human judgment. Technology can forge faces and voices, but it cannot replicate the trained intuition that detects subtle behavioral inconsistencies.
“A deepfake might replicate someone’s appearance perfectly,” explains Toronto-based Dubros, “but it fails to capture the contextual cues that signal deception to a trained investigator.”
Unlike older scams with obvious red flags, deepfake technology creates flawless impersonations capable of bypassing standard business security protocols. Dubros warns:
“The technology is advancing exponentially. What requires specialized equipment today will be available on smartphones tomorrow. Companies that wait for regulations or industry standards will be defenseless against threats that are already here.”
The Urgency of Professional Protection
As AI tools grow more sophisticated and accessible, the line between authentic and artificial communication is vanishing. Traditional security systems were never built to handle impersonations that can flawlessly reproduce a person’s face, voice, or behavior.
For both businesses and individuals, the message is clear: professional investigation services are no longer optional; they are essential.
Investigation Hotline offers confidential consultations for anyone facing potential deception, whether in personal, financial, or corporate matters.
For more information about Investigation Hotline’s comprehensive services, visit investigationhotline.com or call +1 416-205-9114.
