Just been scammed?
I got scammed on an investment or crypto
Investment and crypto fraud has its own reporting route on top of the police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: your securities regulator. The hard part is knowing which one, because the answer depends on where you live. This is process navigation, 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.
The rule that trips people up
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is an umbrella body, not a regulator, and it does not take public complaints. Provincial and territorial regulators handle all securities complaints in their own jurisdictions, so you report to the securities regulator for your own province or territory.
Your securities regulator, by jurisdiction
Report to the regulator for your own province or territory. A few work differently, and those differences are called out in the table rather than smoothed over.
| Where you live | Regulator | How to report |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | British Columbia Securities Commission | Use the BCSC online complaint form. |
| Alberta | Alberta Securities Commission | Complete the online complaint form, or call 403.355.3888. |
| Saskatchewan | Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan | The route splits by registration: a complaint about a registered dealer goes to CIRO, and a complaint about an unregistered person goes to the FCAA. Fill out the FCAA complaint form. |
| Manitoba | Manitoba Securities Commission | Call the fraud tip line at 1-855-FRAUDMB, or submit a complaint online at recognizeinvestmentfraud.com. |
| Ontario | Ontario Securities Commission | Use the OSC online intake form, or call 1-877-785-1555. |
| Quebec | Autorité des marchés financiers | Contact the firm first, then file a written complaint or use the AMF online complaint form. See the Quebec routing note below, and do not use the Office de la protection du consommateur for investment fraud. |
| New Brunswick | Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick | Use the Commission’s Submit a Complaint tool. |
| Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia Securities Commission | Contact the Nova Scotia Securities Commission, which regulates securities activity in the province. |
| Prince Edward Island | Office of the Superintendent of Securities (PEI) | Written complaints only, and anonymous complaints are not accepted. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Office of the Superintendent of Securities | Contact the Office of the Superintendent of Securities at (709) 729-2596. |
| Yukon | Office of the Yukon Superintendent of Securities | Phone 867-667-5466, or toll free in Yukon 1-800-661-0408, extension 5466. |
| Northwest Territories | Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Legal Registries Division | Contact the Office of the Superintendent of Securities, which regulates the capital markets in the Northwest Territories. |
| Nunavut | Office of the Superintendent of Securities for Nunavut | Email only. No online form or dedicated phone line is published, and the office’s own site carries an under-construction notice. |
If you are in Quebec
In Quebec, the route for investment and financial fraud is the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), the body mandated by the Government of Québec to regulate its financial markets and assist consumers of financial products and services. The Office de la protection du consommateur is not the route for investment fraud: it handles consumer contracts and merchant practices, and it refers investment questions to the AMF. Do not send an investment-fraud complaint in Quebec to the OPC. To reach the AMF, contact the firm first, then file a written complaint or use its online complaint form. The AMF can be reached at 418 525-0337 in Québec, 514 395-0337 in Montréal, or 1 877 525-0337 elsewhere.
French-speaking readers can report through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's French page: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Signaler les cas de fraude et de cybercriminalité (French).
Common questions
Who do I report an investment or crypto scam to in Canada?
The securities regulator for your own province or territory. The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is an umbrella body, not a regulator, and it does not take public complaints. Reporting to a regulator does not recover your money or promise an investigation of your individual case.
Who is the route in Quebec?
The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). The Office de la protection du consommateur is not the route for investment fraud; it refers investment questions to the AMF. Do not send an investment-fraud complaint in Quebec to the OPC.
Should I also report it as a crime?
Yes. Report it to your local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre as well, using the steps on the main scam-recovery page. The securities regulator handles the securities side; the police handle the criminal side.
Official sources
Where to go from here
General information only, not legal advice and not a recovery service. Guidepost is not a law firm and cannot recover funds. Reporting to a regulator does not promise an investigation of your individual case. Full disclaimer. Last updated: July 2026.