I think I was scammed: what to do, step by step

Many people feel shame, anger or fear after a scam. Those feelings are common, and they do not mean you did something to deserve this. The next steps are practical and you can take them one at a time.

If you feel hopeless, or you are thinking about harming yourself, please reach out to a person now. Call or text 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline. It is free, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for anyone in Canada. If someone needs urgent help, call 911.

• 9-8-8: call or text, 24/7, for anyone in Canada.
• Kids Help Phone: call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868, 24/7, for ages 5 to 29. Confidential and anonymous.
• Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310 or chat at hopeforwellness.ca, 24/7, for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
• You can also talk to a family member, a friend, your doctor or a counsellor. You do not have to explain everything to start.

Numbers from the Public Health Agency of Canada page "Mental health support: get help" (updated January 14, 2026) and the CRTC page on 9-8-8.

• Stop all contact. Do not send more money, gift card numbers or codes, even if they say it will fix things. Do not argue. Block the number or account after you save the messages.
• Call your bank or card issuer on the number on your card. Tell them what happened. Ask what they can do to block the scammers' access. You may need new account numbers, PINs and cards.
• Our practical tip: if you let someone control your computer, disconnect it from the internet and get help from a trusted person or a repair shop you find yourself. Change your passwords from a different, clean device.
• Save evidence: messages, emails, phone numbers, websites, receipts, payment records and the names used. Screenshots help.

Community Legal Education Ontario notes that you might have some protection if money was taken from your bank account or charged to your credit card, but your bank will want to confirm you are a genuine victim. Recovery is not promised, so move quickly.

• Your local police. Ask for a copy of the report and its number. Give copies to banks, card issuers and credit reporting agencies.
• The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501, or online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca.
• The Competition Bureau, 1-800-348-5358, for misleading ads and deceptive marketing.
• The platform where it happened, such as the marketplace, dating app or social media site.
• Your provincial consumer protection office, so others can be warned. Use the menu below.

If you shared personal details, treat it as a possible identity theft case.

• Contact Equifax (1-800-465-7166) and TransUnion (1-800-663-9980). Ask for your credit reports and check for accounts or debts you do not recognize. CLEO notes they must send your report free by mail on request.
• Ask about a fraud alert on your file. Equifax says its alerts last six years and apply only to Equifax, so you must contact TransUnion separately.
• If your Social Insurance Number was involved, read our guide on a lost SIN and identity theft.

• Lost SIN or identity theft: what to do
• Fraud alerts and credit monitoring
• Get your free credit report

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre describes recovery scams: someone contacts a person who lost money and offers to get it back for a fee, sometimes asking for remote access to the device. No money comes back and more may be taken. Do not pay anyone who contacts you first about recovering lost money.

• Keep a log of every call and email: who you spoke to, the date and what was said. TransUnion suggests keeping a call log.
• Follow up with each company and agency to confirm your case was resolved.
• Check your credit report and bank statements regularly for unfamiliar activity.
• Consider telling a trusted person. Many scams push you to keep it secret, so talking to someone you trust helps.

• Take the scam quiz with a friend
• Cybersecurity basics