A resident of Portneuf-sur-Mer, on Quebec’s North Shore, lost CAD $50,000 after falling victim to a Facebook scam involving fraudulent advertisements featuring Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier François Legault, according to a report from Le Journal de Montréal.
The scam utilized fabricated advertisements portraying both political leaders, ultimately leading the 65-year-old individual to suffer a significant financial loss. This incident underscores the growing sophistication of online fraud and the vulnerability of individuals to deceptive marketing tactics on social media platforms.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions between Trudeau and Legault. During a recent visit to Montreal, Prime Minister Trudeau accused Premier Legault of targeting English Canadians and fostering division, as reported by the Montreal Gazette.
“First of all, I understand that feeling,” Trudeau responded when questioned about concerns from Montreal anglophones regarding federal Liberal support. “They witness a government in Quebec City, the Legault government, that has decided the best way to protect French — which is something that I agree with, yes, we demand to protect French — but Legault has decided the best way to protect French is to attack English Canadians. And that doesn’t make any sense.”
Trudeau specifically cited Quebec’s recent directive to regulate the apply of languages other than French within the healthcare and social services sector as a key example. He also referenced the Legault government’s actions regarding English universities, including tuition increases for out-of-province students. The Prime Minister’s comments highlight a growing disagreement over language policy and its potential impact on different communities within Quebec.
As of February 25, 2026, Justin Trudeau’s official Facebook page has 8,576,590 likes and 3,328 people are currently talking about it, according to Facebook. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance against online scams, particularly those leveraging the images and names of public figures.
