I got scammed: what to do right now
This page is the free guide. No sign-in. Read on.
Take a breath. This happens to careful people every day. What matters now is acting quickly and in the right order.
This is a calm, step-by-step guide to who to contact after a scam, and in what order. Recovery is never certain, but the sooner you report it, the better your chances. It is general information about the process, not a recovery service and not legal advice.
Never send “recovery money”
After a scam, fraudsters often come back, posing as police, a lawyer, a government agent, or a “recovery agency”, and offer to recover your losses for an upfront fee. That is a second scam. No legitimate agency, and no police service, charges an upfront fee to recover stolen money. If someone contacts you promising to get funds returned for a payment, it is fraud.
1
The sequence
Open this section ↓- 1
Gather everything
Collect every record you have: receipts, e-transfer confirmations, emails, texts, screenshots, account numbers, and any name or number the scammer used. You will need these for every call that follows.
- 2
Call your financial institution
Contact the bank, credit union, or card issuer that sent or holds the money immediately. If your identity may be exposed, ask them to flag your accounts and change your passwords and PINs. This is the step where speed makes the most difference.
- 3
Report to your local police, and get the file number
Use your police service’s non-emergency line, or its online reporting where available. Ask for the file (occurrence) number and the officer’s name. You will be asked for it by the CAFC and, for identity theft, by Service Canada.
- 4
Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC)
Report online through the Report Cybercrime and Fraud portal, or call 1-888-495-8501 (Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 4:45 pm ET). The CAFC keeps the national fraud database. It does not investigate your case itself, but the report supports law enforcement.
- 5
Notify the government bodies involved
Where a government account or benefit is affected, tell the right body. The Canada Revenue Agency can be reached at 1-800-959-8281; Service Canada at 1-800-622-6232. See the CRA and identity-theft pages below for the direct fraud lines.
- 6
Protect yourself from the next attempt
Keep monitoring your accounts and credit. And watch for the follow-up: fraudsters often circle back posing as someone who can recover your money. Never send “recovery money.”
↑ Close this sectionWhat the CAFC does, and does not do
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre collects and shares fraud reports with law enforcement across Canada. It is not an investigator. That is the role of your local police. Reporting to both is how your case gets a file number and gets counted.
- 1
2
What happened to you?
Pick the situation closest to yours for the exact steps and who to call.Open this section ↓Pick the situation closest to yours for the exact steps and who to call.
↑ Close this sectionI sent money by e-Transfer →
Interac e-transfer to a scammer: what your bank can and cannot do.
Unauthorized charges on my card or account →
Charges you did not make: your liability and the steps to dispute them.
My identity was stolen or my SIN was misused →
The order to work in, both credit bureaus, and the truth about a new SIN.
My CRA account was hacked →
Lock down your CRA My Account and who to call, in order.
My bank will not refund a fraud →
The internal-complaint deadline and how to escalate to OBSI.
I got scammed on an investment or crypto →
The securities regulator to report to in your province, and Quebec’s AMF route.
Helping a parent who got scammed →
The same steps, reframed for a family member helping out.
3
Can I report this online?
City and municipal police set their own rules, so this is a snapshot, not a rule that applies everywhere: always check your own service.Open this section ↓City and municipal police set their own rules, so this is a snapshot, not a rule that applies everywhere: always check your own service. The reason this table exists is the trap. Several large services do not take fraud online at all, so a victim who assumes otherwise loses time.
Police service Is fraud taken online? Toronto Yes, for a loss under $5,000. Over $5,000, call the non-emergency line at 416-808-2222. Montreal (SPVM) Yes, except telemarketing and pyramid schemes, which route to the RCMP. Peel No. Attend a division or community station; it is not taken over the phone either. Calgary No. Fraud requires attending a district office. Edmonton No. By station or phone only. York Narrow: only identity theft or fraud meaning the unauthorized use of personal or financial information. Ottawa Only if money was actually lost; otherwise you are routed to the CAFC. Winnipeg Yes, broadly, across five sub-types including scam and identity theft. Vancouver Narrow: a card or cheque used without permission, with no suspect, under $10,000. Durham Yes, broadly. This is a snapshot of ten large services, not every service, and rules change. Check your own police service before assuming fraud can be reported online.
↑ Close this section4
If you are in Quebec
In Quebec, investment and financial fraud goes to the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), not to the Office de la protection du consommateur, which refers investment questions to the AMF.Open this section ↓In Quebec, investment and financial fraud goes to the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), not to the Office de la protection du consommateur, which refers investment questions to the AMF.
5
Common questions
I just got scammed, what is the very first thing to do?Open this section ↓I just got scammed, what is the very first thing to do?
Gather everything you have (records, receipts, emails, texts, screenshots), then contact the financial institution that sent or holds the money right away. Speed matters. The sooner your bank knows, the more it may be able to do.
Does the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre get my money back?
No. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is Canada’s central fraud-reporting database, shared with law enforcement. It is your local police who investigate. Reporting to the CAFC still matters: it feeds the national picture and can support your case.
Do I have to go to the police?
Report to your local police and get the file number. Both the CAFC and Service Canada ask for it later, so it is worth doing early. Use your police service’s non-emergency line, or its online reporting where that exists.
Someone offered to get my money back for a fee, is that real?
No. That is one of the most common second scams. Never send “recovery money.” No legitimate agency or police service charges an upfront fee to recover stolen funds.
How do I reach the CAFC?
Report online through the Report Cybercrime and Fraud portal, or call 1-888-495-8501, Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 4:45 pm ET (closed holidays).
A record suspension is applied for directly to the Parole Board of Canada for its application fee alone. PBC's own page warns that third-party companies charge several hundred dollars to more than a thousand dollars on top of that fee and cannot get an application processed faster. The record suspension guide: the nine steps and PBC's warning about paid services →
General information only, not legal advice and not a recovery service. Guidepost is not a law firm and cannot recover funds. Sources: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, and the bodies linked on each page. Facts checked October 2026. Full disclaimer.
↑ Close this section