What to do if you're a victim of fraud
Note
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. If you are afraid for your safety or the safety of others, please contact your local police.
On this page
- Collect your thoughts
- Contact your financial institutions
- Contact the police
- Report the incident
- Protect yourself from future fraud
Collect your thoughts
Stay calm. Gather all information about the fraud, 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 fraud to both credit bureaus (Equifax and TransUnion)
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.
- 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
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If you suspect that someone had your mail re-directed, 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
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Please contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada if:
- your immigration documents have been lost or stolen
- you suspect someone is fraudulently using them
- Lost or stolen passport
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If your passport is lost or stolen, report the incident to Passport Canada and to 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
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Learn what to do if you suspect someone is using your Social Insurance Number (SIN).
- Lost or stolen provincial or territorial identity documents
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These documents include:
- your birth certificate
- your driver's license
- your health card
- other documents issued by a province or territory
Please contact 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.
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.
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