VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Mar 31, 2015) - In support of Fraud Prevention Month, the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) Chair and CEO Brenda Leong today announced the results of research commissioned by the BCSC into the fraud vulnerability of older British Columbians. The research, conducted by Innovative Research Group, surveyed 800 British Columbians aged 50 and over. Leong announced the results during a speech that also included an interactive event called "Fraudster Comes Alive." 

"Our survey results show that what investors think, feel, and do matters when it comes to investment fraud vulnerability," said Leong. "This means thinking about investments the right way, feeling confident and financially secure, and taking steps to avoid risky situations."

Key findings from the survey include:

"The BCSC sees the damage caused by fraud up close. Our Be Fraud Aware campaign is designed to raise awareness and empower the public to recognize, reject and report investment fraud," said Leong. "Our survey offers new insights into three significant factors that continue to make older British Columbians vulnerable."

A random probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The estimated margin of error will be larger within each sub-grouping of the sample.