The advantages of moving towards a digital economy are plenty. That said, one thing that holds us back is the rampant increase in fraud. What's worse than being scammed once? Twice, of course. Unfortunately, this happens to one out of every three victims of fraud.
Scammers can be persuasive. They call, email, and send us text messages trying to get our money or sensitive personal information — like our Social Security or account numbers. And they're good at what they do. So, what if you paid someone you now think is a scammer? Or what if you gave a scammer your personal information or access to your computer or phone? Let’s start by learning how to recognize a scam.
Recognizing a scam
Many scams and frauds attempt to imitate government services to gain access to your personal and financial information. Learn how to identify fake messages, texts, calls, email, or mail from fraudsters claiming to be from the following organizations:
- Service Canada or 1 800 O-Canada
- Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada
- Canada Border Services Agency
Types of scams and fraud
- Beware of the following scams from fraudsters claiming to be from the Government of Canada:
- Watch out for prepaid cards, bitcoin, and Interac e-transfer® payment scams as well as any suspicious requests demanding immediate payment.
- Learn about the common scams aimed at newcomers to Canada.
- Beware of COVID-19 scams and fraud, and learn how to protect yourself.
How you can protect yourself:
- Stay safe online by learning about simple steps you can take to protect yourself online, like choosing strong passwords, passphrases, and PINs.
- Learn how to avoid scammer pressure tactics, get tips on verifying whether a communication is legitimate, and what to do if you suspect a scam.
- Find information on how to protect your SIN, and what to do if you suspect someone is using your SIN or you have been affected by a data breach.
- Learn how to protect yourself from scammers stealing your personal and financial information to access your accounts and steal your money.
- Share any updates with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, your financial institutions, and the RCMP.
What to do if you're a victim of fraud
Collect your thoughts
Stay calm. Gather all information about the fraud, including:
- documents,
- receipts, and
- copies of emails and/or text messages.
Contact your financial institutions
Report the incident to the financial institution that transferred the money.
If you're a victim of identity fraud:
- place flags on all your accounts
- change all your passwords
- report the fraud to both credit bureaus (Equifax and TransUnion)
Contact the police
Report the incident to your local RCMP and get a file number for future reference. If you find suspicious activity on your credit report, update your file with the police.
Report the incident
Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll-free at 1-888-495-8501 or the Fraud Reporting System.
Depending on the type of fraud or how it occurred, you'll also want to report it to other organizations.
- Fraud that took place online through a website
Report the incident directly to the administrators of the website. You can do so through a link such as "Report Abuse" or "Report an Ad".
- Redirected mail
If you suspect that someone had your mail redirected, contact Canada Post.
You should also notify your service provider (telephone, cell phone, electricity, water, gas, etc.) of the identity fraud.
- Lost, stolen, or misused immigration documents
Please get in touch with the Citizenship and Immigration Canada if:- your immigration documents have been lost or stolen
- you suspect someone is fraudulently using them
- your immigration documents have been lost or stolen
- Lost or stolen passport
If your passport is lost or stolen, report the incident to Passport Canada and your local police.
If you are outside of Canada, you must report the loss or theft to the nearest Canadian government office abroad.
- Stolen Social Insurance Number
Learn what to do if you suspect someone is using your Social Insurance Number (SIN).
- Lost or stolen provincial or territorial identity documents
These documents include:- your birth certificate
- your driver's license
- your health card
- other documents issued by a province or territory
Don't hesitate to get in touch with the province or territory that issued the document if:
- the document has been lost or stolen
- you believe someone is fraudulently using this information
You can find contact information on provincial and territorial government websites.
- Report deceptive marketing practices
Making false or misleading claims to promote a product or service is illegal in Canada and can be reported to the Competition Bureau.
- Report unauthorized health products and claims
In Canada, false and misleading advertising of drugs, medical devices and natural health products, including hand sanitizers and disinfectants, is illegal.
Scammers often target victims of fraud a third or fourth time with the promise of recovering money. Always do your due diligence and never send recovery money.
Tell family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers about your experience. You may prevent someone else from becoming a victim.