Fraud and scam protection in Canada

Someone pretends to be a grandchild, other family member, lawyer or police officer. They say a loved one is in trouble, for example arrested, in a crash or stuck abroad, and ask for money right away. Newer versions come by text or email. In a "broken phone" version the sender says their phone is damaged, gives a new number and asks for money.

What to do: Hang up. Call the family member on a number you already have. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says the Canadian justice system does not allow bail to be paid with cash or cryptocurrency.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Emergency and grandparent scams, updated January 14, 2026.

A caller says they work for your bank, an investigation team or the police, and that a strange charge hit your card. They may ask for card details, tell you to call the number on the back of your card while they stay on the line, or tell you to move your money to another account to keep it safe.

What to do: Hang up, wait, and call your bank on a number you already trust. Never give remote access to someone who contacted you first.

Source: New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission: CAFC bulletin on the bank investigator scam, updated posted April 17, 2018.

Callers say they are from the Canada Revenue Agency or Service Canada. They claim your SIN is compromised, you owe back taxes or you committed a crime, and threaten arrest, fines or deportation unless you act at once.

What to do: Hang up. Contact the agency yourself through its official website or a number you already have. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says the Canada Revenue Agency will never ask for payment by text message.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Extortion, updated July 21, 2026.

A caller claims to work for your hydro company and says you or your business has an unpaid balance. They say the power will be shut off unless you pay at once.

What to do: Do not pay. Call your utility using the number on your bill.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Extortion, updated July 21, 2026.

A caller says they are from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, claims you did not finish or register documents, and demands fees under threat of deportation, loss of your passport or loss of citizenship.

What to do: Hang up. Check with the government office using contact details from its official website.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Extortion, updated July 21, 2026.

A pop-up or a call says your computer has a virus or was hacked and tells you to call a number. The person asks for remote access, runs programs or changes settings, then asks for payment by card or money transfer. Some ask you to log in to your bank.

What to do: End the call. Contact the company using a number from an official source, never one the caller gives you. Never share passwords, PINs or security codes.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Service scams, updated July 23, 2026.

Fake emails, texts, social media messages or calls pretend to be from a bank, a streaming service, a delivery company or a government office such as the Canada Revenue Agency. They try to get your details or get you to click a link or file that infects your device.

What to do: Do not click. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, then delete it. Government agencies do not offer money by email or e-transfer.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Phishing, updated January 16, 2026.

An email that looks like it comes from a boss asks you to buy gift cards or wire a large payment. Another looks like an employee asking to change direct deposit details. Another looks like a supplier with new bank details. The sender address is spoofed to look real.

What to do: Confirm the request using contact details from your own directory, not from the email. Follow your normal approval steps for payment changes.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Spear phishing and business email scams, updated January 16, 2026.

Fraudsters pose as senior government officials and ask a business for money to pay a ransom, often claiming staff are being held. The page says the ransom demand is real but the hostage taking is fake.

What to do: Do not send money. Contact the organization using a number you already have, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and your police, and call 911 if anyone needs help right away.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Extortion, updated July 21, 2026.

A fake profile builds a relationship to win your trust, then asks for money for travel, medical bills or family help. Some ask you to receive money for them, which can make you part of a crime. Some pitch a business or a cryptocurrency investment.

What to do: Never send money to someone you have not met in person. Do not share your SIN, birth date or banking information.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Romance scams, updated January 16, 2026.

Someone you met online says they are a successful crypto investor and coaches you to invest on a fake platform. They may let you withdraw small returns, then block you when you try to cash out. In a related trick, they send fake requests that look like they come from your crypto service so you approve access to your wallet.

What to do: Do not open or fund a crypto account at a stranger's direction, and do not send crypto to wallets they control.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Romance scams, updated January 16, 2026.

Fraudsters build a relationship on social media, adult or dating sites, push the person into sexual acts on camera, record it and threaten to share it unless the victim pays or sends more.

What to do: Assume live streams can be recorded. Never send money to someone you have not met. Tell a trusted adult or friend, and report it to your local police. Support is available at Kids Help Phone, 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Extortion, updated July 21, 2026.

Offers of false or misleading investments that promise unusually high returns. Types include fake crypto platforms, pump and dump stock schemes, Ponzi schemes, fake bonds or GICs, fake coin offerings, franchise or machine deals and gem sales. Victims usually lose most or all of their money.

What to do: Research it yourself, not through links or numbers in the offer. Check registration at aretheyregistered.ca or with your provincial securities regulator. Government agencies never ask for payment in cryptocurrency.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Investment scams, updated January 16, 2026.

Someone contacts a person who already 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.

What to do: Do not pay or give access. Report the original fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Investment scams, updated January 16, 2026.

Profits depend on signing up new people, often through "gifting circles" with little real product. Only people near the top gain, and the scheme eventually collapses.

What to do: Walk away. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Investment scams, updated January 16, 2026.

Fake lending sites collect personal details on a loan application, which can lead to identity theft. After a quick approval you are asked to pay a fee to secure the loan, and no loan arrives.

What to do: Never send money before you receive a loan. Check a lender with your provincial consumer protection office or financial regulator.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Loan and grant scams, updated January 16, 2026.

Ads or copycat websites promise free grant money, or access to funding, then ask for a fee to receive it. A hacked friend's social media account may promote the grant. Some also ask you to open a new business bank account that may be used to move stolen money.

What to do: Use official government resources for funding. Real government grants and loans do not charge a fee to apply, and private companies do not decide approvals.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Loan and grant scams, updated January 16, 2026.

A free trial or free gift, often after a survey, asks for a card number to cover shipping of a few dollars. Fine print signs you up for a recurring subscription that is hard to cancel.

What to do: Read the terms before you enter a card. If you were charged, contact your card issuer and the company to cancel.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Subscription traps, updated January 16, 2026.

Fake ads on resale sites and social media offer tickets, pets, electronics, rentals and cars. Pet ads ask for payment after payment for shipping and shots. Rental ads use stolen photos and rush you to pay. Copycat websites sell fake brand name goods.

What to do: Check web addresses before clicking. See the item or the rental in person. Avoid unusual payment methods and advance fees.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Merchandise and vendor fraud, updated January 16, 2026.

A buyer sends too much and asks you to send back the difference, but the payment is fake. Others send a fake payment notice that asks for a tracking number first, ask for a fee to fix their payment account, send a QR code to "receive" money, or send a fake e-transfer link that steals your banking login.

What to do: Confirm payment by logging in to your own account, not from a link. Never share your security or multi-factor code.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Merchandise and vendor fraud, updated January 16, 2026.

You are told you won a prize or lottery, sometimes a foreign one you never entered, or by a caller posing as a well known sweepstakes company. To get it you must first pay fees or buy something. The page says no winnings are ever received.

What to do: Do not pay. Real winnings do not require an advance payment.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Prize scams, updated January 16, 2026.

You receive a cheque for a job such as car wrapping or mystery shopping and are told to deposit it and send part of the money on. The cheque bounces and you owe the bank. Other versions pay you small amounts for "boosting" apps or products, then ask for fees to unlock more, and your balance can never be withdrawn.

What to do: Never pay fees or send deposits for a job. Check the company using its official website and phone number.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Job scams, updated January 16, 2026.

You are hired to receive payments into your own bank account and forward them, often in Bitcoin. The money may come from stolen accounts or other victims, which can make you a money mule who could face money laundering charges.

What to do: Say no. Report it to your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Job scams, updated January 16, 2026.

Criminals lock or scramble the files on a device or network and demand a ransom. Many attacks begin with a phishing email with a harmful link or attachment. Paying does not guarantee that access will be restored.

What to do: Back up your data regularly, keep software updated, use multi-factor authentication, and report incidents to your police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Ransomware, updated January 16, 2026.

Fake charities ask for donations, or real charities keep the money they collect, according to the Competition Bureau's list of common scams.

What to do: Look up the charity yourself before you give, and do not donate through a link or number from a cold contact.

Source: Competition Bureau Canada: Scams that target Canadian consumers, common scams, updated May 11, 2023.

High pressure salespeople push unwanted products or services at your door, such as charity donations, investments or home appliance upkeep.

What to do: You can say no and close the door. Take time to check the company before you sign or pay.

Source: Competition Bureau Canada: Scams that target Canadian consumers, common scams, updated May 11, 2023.

Common types are fake miracle cures, weight-loss programs and fake online pharmacies, according to the Competition Bureau.

What to do: Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you buy, and check that a pharmacy is licensed.

Source: Competition Bureau Canada: Scams that target Canadian consumers, common scams, updated May 11, 2023.

Scammers gather or copy your personal details to commit fraud. Many scams on this page are used to collect those details.

What to do: See our guide on what to do if your SIN is lost or your identity is stolen.

Source: Competition Bureau Canada: Scams that target Canadian consumers, common scams, updated May 11, 2023.