How to Report Fraud in Canada: The CAFC and Police

Where to report a scam in Canada, whether you lost money or not.

By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 24, 2026

Many victims of fraud do not report it, often out of embarrassment or because they do not know where to go. Reports help investigators spot patterns and may help others avoid the same scam. A short, factual report is better than none, and you do not need every detail to begin. This guide follows the CAFC’s reporting page.

What the CAFC is

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is Canada’s central agency collecting information on fraud and identity theft. You can report whether or not you lost money.

How to report

According to the CAFC:

• Online. Use the reporting system at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca. Anonymous reporting is possible.
• By phone. Call 1-888-495-8501. The line is open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 16:45 Eastern time.
• Local police. The CAFC advises you to contact your local police as soon as possible.

The CAFC page does not set out identity theft recovery steps, so for those, see our guide on what to do if your identity is stolen.

What to gather before you report

Having details ready makes the report more useful:

• how and when the scammer contacted you (phone, email, text, social media, website);
• the scammer’s name, phone number, email, website or social profile;
• what they said or offered;
• how much you paid, when, and by what method (card, transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency);
• any account numbers, transaction records, screenshots or messages.

Steps if you lost money

1. Stop contact. Do not send more money or reply.
2. Contact your bank or card issuer at once.
3. Report to the CAFC and local police.
4. Change passwords and enable two-factor authentication on any account you shared.
5. Watch your credit and accounts for unusual activity.
6. Keep records of everything.

Common scams affecting Canadians

Scams in Canada follow many of the same patterns as elsewhere. Examples in our library include a tax agency phone scam traced to call centres and the grandparent scam. For wider data, see scam loss statistics.

Reduce unwanted contact

You can lower the amount of unwanted telemarketing by joining the national list; see how the Canadian Do Not Call List works. Note that scammers ignore such lists, so do not rely on them for protection.

Your privacy rights

If a Canadian organisation holds your personal information, you can ask to see it or have it deleted; see the PIPEDA guide. A stolen identity can have long consequences; read a Canadian identity theft case.

Reporting in other countries

Other countries have their own channels. For India, see the 1930 cyber fraud helpline.