The financial pressures of the current economy are affecting every Canadian right now — even scammers, it seems, who have been coming up with all sorts of new ways to screw innocent people out of their hard-earned money.

People in Toronto have likely heard of the common frauds that authorities have cautioned citizens to look out for, but there are also some lesser-known schemes that unfortunate victims (or near-victims) have tried their best to spread awareness of online.

One of these is a social media scam experienced by a local tattoo artist who is warning would-be customers, as well as other artists and businesses in general, to be careful of.

Toronto scams are getting completely out of hand and here are ones to watch out for 😳 https://t.co/VPzKXRllx8 #Toronto #Scams

— blogTO (@blogTO) October 15, 2023

Alyssa, who goes by Noxid Tattoos on Instagram, was alerted that she was being impersonated by someone using her photos and information to scam potential clients and even other tattoo studios, all under a handle that was close enough to her own to be almost unnoticeable.

The scammer managed to rack up a false following, messaging individuals and tattoo shops around the world to solicit deposits for pieces that would, of course, never be completed.

They also pretended to book guest spots at various studios — which would then advertise their arrival, thus bringing in more falsely earned funds — and even messaged Alyssa's own friends, impersonating her to try and garner money transfers.

(Some of us may have encountered a similar con to the latter, when a loved one's account gets hacked and starts sending strange messages that don't quite sound like them.)

While Alyssa and her circle have tried numerous times to report the phony account to Instagram, nothing has been done. And, aside from being concerned for the people who are unknowingly losing money to this fraudster, the tattooer worries the ordeal could seriously impact her career moving forward, despite being completely out of her control.

The artist has been trying to get the identity thief's profile taken down, to no avail.

"I'm afraid this is hurting my reputation as an artist. I don't have a huge following and I work hard and am passionate about what I do," she tells blogTO.

"I want to make people aware of this scam so they can be more cautious before sending money."

Of course, the more legitimately a criminal can imitate a person or business online through hacking their real account or building up a following on a fake one, the more likely they are to succeed in their swindling.

This is insane https://t.co/ymHJbpDLmA

— JuicyJade (@_Jadevans) January 5, 2023

So along with the better-known grandparent scam, bank phishing scam, housing scam, taxi ride or pizza scam, handyman scam, and all the others that are out right now, residents can add not trusting every seemingly legitimate social media presence to the list.

"Double check tattoo artists' profiles before sending any money," Alyssa says regarding her industry in particular. "This fake artist was reaching out to shops in Portugal, Budapest, etc. to reach more clients and get more deposits via PayPal."