What to do if scammed?

Collect Your Thoughts

Stay calm. Gather all information about the scam, including:

• documents
• receipts
• 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 of your accounts
• change all of your passwords
• report the scam

Contact the Police

Report the incident to your local police 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 through the Fraud Reporting System. Depending on the type of fraud, or how it occurred, you'll also want to report it to other organizations.

Protect yourself from future fraud

Scammers often target victims of fraud a second or third time with the promise of recovering money. Always do your due diligence and never send recovery money. Share any updates with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, your financial institutions and police. Tell family, friends, neighbours and co-workers about your experience. You may prevent someone else from becoming a victim.