Just been scammed?
My identity was stolen or my SIN was misused
Identity theft is fixable, but the order matters — several bodies need the same police file number, so that report comes first. Here is the sequence Service Canada sets out.
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.
The order to work in
- 1File a police report and get the file number (and the officer’s name and number). Ask that the report reference your SIN.
- 2Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- 3Place a fraud alert with both credit bureaus — Equifax and TransUnion.
- 4Contact each creditor or account where fraud occurred.
- 5Tell Canada Post if your mail has been tampered with or redirected.
- 6Notify the affected benefit or government program.
Equifax Canada
Fraud alert by phone: 1-800-465-7166. Free; stays on your file for six years.
TransUnion Canada
Fraud alert by phone: 1-800-663-9980. Free by phone or mail; kept for six years.
The truth about a new SIN
Getting a new SIN is not the automatic fix people assume. Service Canada issues one only with proof your SIN was used for fraud, in person at a Service Canada Centre — and it explicitly does not recommend it, because having multiple SINs can increase fraud risk and the old SIN is never deactivated. The SIN information line is 1-866-274-6627. If your physical documents were also lost or stolen, our replace lost documents guide covers reordering them.
Common questions
Should I get a new Social Insurance Number?
Usually not — and it is harder than people expect. Service Canada issues a new SIN only with proof that your SIN was used for fraud, in person at a Service Canada Centre, and it explicitly does not recommend it: having multiple SINs can increase your fraud risk, and your old SIN is never deactivated. Fraud alerts at the credit bureaus protect you more than a new number.
Which credit bureaus do I contact?
Both. Place a fraud alert with Equifax Canada (1-800-465-7166) and TransUnion Canada (1-800-663-9980). Both alerts are free and stay on your file for six years. An alert asks lenders to call and verify before extending credit — in most provinces they are encouraged, not legally required, to do so.
What is the very first step?
File a police report and get the file number, the officer’s name, and their number — the report should reference your SIN. Both the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Service Canada ask for that file number, so it has to come first.
Official sources
Where to go from here
General information only, not legal advice and not a recovery service. Guidepost cannot recover funds or restore credit. Full disclaimer. Last updated: July 2026.