How to report fraud in Canada
Four different systems need to hear from you, and each one records something the others cannot. This is the order that loses the least time.
Before you do anything else
Do not delete the conversation, the app, the profile or the emails — even if looking at them is unbearable. Screenshot and export first. Investigators and banks both need the original record, and fraudsters delete their side quickly.
If remote-access software was installed on your device, disconnect it from the internet and use a different device for password changes and banking.
What to do, and when
The windows matter. Recall and chargeback rights are time-limited, platform logs expire, and civil limitation periods start running from the moment you discover the loss.
Stop the bleeding
- 1Call your bank's fraud line using the number on the back of your card — not any number the caller gave you.
- 2Ask specifically for a recall, chargeback, or Interac e-Transfer trace, and record the time you asked.
- 3Freeze or lock the affected cards and accounts; revoke any remote-access software still installed.
- 4Stop all contact with the fraudster, but do not delete anything yet.
Preserve the evidence
- 1Screenshot every message, profile, transaction, wallet address and receipt before accounts vanish.
- 2Export bank and platform statements covering the full relationship, not just the last transfer.
- 3Write a plain timeline: dates, amounts, names, phone numbers, URLs, and what you were told each time.
- 4Change passwords from a clean device and turn on multi-factor authentication.
Report to the right bodies
- 1File with your local police and get the occurrence number in writing.
- 2Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or through its online reporting system.
- 3If it was an investment, report to your provincial securities regulator as well.
- 4Place fraud alerts with both Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada.
Open the civil and regulatory tracks
- 1Escalate in writing to your bank's internal ombudsman if the claim was denied.
- 2Speak to a civil litigator about a Norwich order or Mareva injunction while the trail is warm.
- 3Contact provincial victim services — many offer counselling and practical support at no cost.
- 4Note your limitation date; in most provinces the basic period is two years from discovery.
Who does what — and what they will not do
Most frustration in the months after a fraud comes from expecting the wrong thing from the right body. Set expectations correctly and you will chase fewer dead ends.
| Body | What it does | What it will not do |
|---|---|---|
| Local police | Opens a criminal investigation, lays charges, and is the only route to a Criminal Code conviction and a restitution order. | Rarely recovers funds directly, and cannot force a bank to reimburse you. |
| Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre | Collects national intelligence, links your file to related reports, and refers matters to police of jurisdiction. | Does not investigate your individual case or return money to you. |
| Your bank or credit union | Attempts recalls, chargebacks and e-Transfer traces; assesses reimbursement under your account agreement. | Has no obligation to reimburse simply because you were deceived into authorising a payment. |
| Provincial securities regulator | Investigates unregistered trading and advising, issues cease-trade orders and investor alerts, and can order disgorgement. | Does not act as your lawyer or guarantee you receive a share of any amounts collected. |
Build the package once
Assemble this in a single folder and you can hand the same package to police, your bank, the regulator and a lawyer without rebuilding it each time.
- Full names, aliases, and profile handles used by the fraudster
- Every phone number, email address, and messaging account
- Complete chat and email exports, not selected screenshots
- All URLs, including fake trading dashboards and app download links
- Bank statements, wire confirmations, and e-Transfer references
- Crypto wallet addresses, transaction hashes, and the exchange used
- Any documents they sent: contracts, certificates, invoices, ID
- Names of anyone else you know who was targeted by the same operation
Keep a log of every call you make: date, time, who you spoke to, reference number, and what they committed to. It becomes decisive if you later escalate to OBSI or to court.
National bodies
Verify every number independently on the official site before calling. Fraudsters buy search ads against these exact terms.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC)
Canada's central intake for fraud and cybercrime reports. Jointly operated by the RCMP, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Competition Bureau. The CAFC does not investigate your file itself — it collects intelligence and refers it to police of jurisdiction.
Report even if you did not lose money. Attempted-fraud reports build the case pattern.
Your local police service
The only body that can open a criminal investigation and lay charges under the Criminal Code. File where you live, in person or online, and get an occurrence/report number.
Call 911 only if you are in immediate danger or the loss is actively in progress.
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)
Federal regulator supervising banks' compliance with the Financial Consumer Protection Framework, including complaint-handling obligations.
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI)
Since 1 November 2024, the single external complaints body for every federally regulated bank in Canada. Free, independent, and can recommend compensation up to $350,000 after the bank's internal process is exhausted.
Escalate to OBSI after the bank's final decision, or after 56 days with no answer.
FINTRAC
Financial intelligence unit under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. Crypto platforms serving Canadians must register as money services businesses — an unregistered platform is a serious red flag.
Use the MSB registry to check whether a platform is legally allowed to operate here.
Competition Bureau Canada
Enforces the deceptive marketing provisions of the Competition Act, including false representations and misleading advertising.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Handles complaints where your personal information was mishandled or breached under PIPEDA or the Privacy Act.
Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO)
National self-regulatory organization for investment and mutual fund dealers, formed in 2023 from the merger of IIROC and the MFDA. Check registration before you invest and file complaints about registered dealers.
988 Suicide Crisis Helpline
Free, 24/7, bilingual crisis support by call or text anywhere in Canada. Financial-abuse victims are at elevated risk — this is a legitimate part of fraud response.
Reporting when you are not the account holder
If the person defrauded is an older adult, a dependent adult, or someone without capacity, you can still report. Police and the CAFC accept reports from family members and caregivers, and provincial adult-protection legislation may apply where financial abuse is suspected.
Where a power of attorney was misused, that is a distinct matter — raise it with a lawyer, because the remedies run through provincial substitute-decision and trust law rather than through the fraud file alone.