How to Report a Scam or Fraud in Canada: The Complete Guide

It's not a word anyone wants to spell. But knowing what to do next makes all the difference.

One of our members reached out to me last week.

She's 71, lives outside of Ottawa, sharp as a tack. Got a phone call from someone claiming to be from the CRA, Canada Revenue Agency, telling her she owed back taxes and would be arrested within the hour if she didn't pay immediately by gift card.

She didn't fall for it. But she was shaken. And she asked me a question I hear all the time:

"I want to report this. But who do I even call?"

Good question. Because the honest answer is; the Canadian reporting system is a little scattered, and nobody has ever really explained it clearly in plain language.

Until now. That's this post.

First - A Note on Why Reporting Actually Matters

Most people don't report scams. They feel embarrassed, or they assume nothing will come of it, or they just don't know where to start.

Here's the thing though. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the main national reporting agency, openly admits that only about five percent of fraud victims ever report what happened to them. Five percent.

Which means scammers operate with almost complete impunity, because the data needed to track and shut them down never gets collected.

When you report a scam, even one you didn't fall for, even one where you lost nothing, you become part of the system that protects the next person. The elderly woman in Winnipeg who gets the same call next week. The retired teacher in Halifax who doesn't know what you know.

That's not nothing. That's actually a lot.

Step 1: If You've Lost Money or Given Personal Information — Call Your Local Police First

I know. Calling the police feels like a big step. It feels like paperwork and waiting rooms and nothing actually happening.

But if you've been the victim of fraud, meaning you actually transferred money, gave someone your banking details, your SIN, or your credit card number, your local police service is your first call.

Why? Because for a case file to be opened, for any real investigation to happen, it starts with a police report. The RCMP and provincial forces need that file number to move forward. And your bank, if you're trying to recover funds, will often ask for it too.

In Ontario, you can call your local OPP detachment or municipal police. In Toronto, that's 416-808-2222 for non-emergency. Most police services now also accept fraud reports online or by phone, you don't necessarily need to go in person.

Keep a record of everything:

• The phone number or email address the scammer used

• Exactly what they said or wrote

• Any transaction numbers, gift card numbers, or account details involved

• Screenshots of any emails or texts

• The date and time of contact

Write it all down before you call. It makes the whole process faster.

Step 2: Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Even If You Didn't Lose Anything

This is the step most people skip. Don't skip it.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is a national agency jointly operated by the RCMP, the Ontario Provincial Police, and the Competition Bureau. Their entire job is to collect, track, and share information about fraud happening across Canada — and to use that data to help law enforcement stay ahead of emerging scams.

You can report to them whether you lost money or not. Whether you're a victim or just someone who got a suspicious call. Anonymous reports are accepted.

Two ways to report:

• Online: reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca: the RCMP recently launched a new, streamlined version of this platform that makes the whole process clearer and faster

• Phone: 1-888-495-8501; toll-free, Monday to Friday

That phone number is worth saving in your contacts right now. Seriously. Before you close this tab.

Step 3: Report to the CRA - If It Was a Tax Scam

CRA scams are the most common scam targeting Canadians over 60. And they have their own dedicated reporting process.

If someone contacted you pretending to be from the Canada Revenue Agency, demanding immediate payment, threatening arrest, claiming you owe money, report it directly to the CRA using their online form or by fax.

They will review your submission, place protections on your CRA account if needed, and have a designated officer follow up within fourteen business days.

CRA reporting:

• Online: canada.ca, search "Report a CRA scam"

• Fax: 1-833-635-2482 (Form RC213)

And then still report it to the CAFC as well. The more agencies that have the information, the better.

Step 4: Report Spam Emails and Texts to the Spam Reporting Centre

Got a text message with a suspicious link? An email that looked like it was from your bank or from Canada Post?

The Spam Reporting Centre handles exactly that. It's run by the CRTC, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and it specifically tracks unsolicited commercial messages, phishing emails, and fraudulent texts.

Report at: fightspam.gc.ca

Takes about two minutes. And yes, it counts. Every report adds to the dataset that gets scams identified and shut down.

Step 5: Report Unwanted Telemarketing Calls to the DNCL

If you're getting harassed by repeated unsolicited sales calls, not necessarily scams, but persistent telemarketing you never signed up for, you can file a complaint with the National Do Not Call List (DNCL).

Report at: lnnte-dncl.gc.ca

Worth noting; being on the Do Not Call List doesn't stop scammers, they ignore it by definition. But it does handle legitimate companies that are contacting you without permission.

A Quick Reference - Who to Call for What

Situation	Who to Report To
Lost money or gave personal info	Local police first, then CAFC
Got a scam call but didn't engage	CAFC: 1-888-495-8501
CRA or tax-related scam	CRA + CAFC
Phishing email or suspicious text	Spam Reporting Centre (fightspam.gc.ca)
Repeated unwanted telemarketing	National Do Not Call List
Fake website or misleading advertising	Competition Bureau

The Thing Nobody Talks About, The Shame Piece

I want to say something directly.

There is no shame in being targeted by a scammer. None. Zip. Zero.

These are professional criminals who run sophisticated, rehearsed operations specifically designed to manipulate intelligent, reasonable adults under pressure. They do it full time. They're very good at it.

The woman outside Ottawa who called me? She spent thirty years as a nurse. She is one of the clearest, calmest thinkers I've come across. And that call still shook her, because it was designed to.

The shame isn't yours. The scam is theirs.

Report it. Tell your family. Tell your neighbours. The more we talk about this, the harder it gets for them to operate.

➡️ Want the international version? [Read: How to Report a Scam — Canada, USA, UK and Europe] for the complete four-country guide.

➡️ Want to learn how to spot a scam before it gets that far? [Read: Digital Safety for People Over 60 — Without the Headache].

➡️ Ready to build your full digital safety foundation? [Access our free course at tech4grownups.com].

Has this happened to you? A scam call, a suspicious text, an email that felt off, did you know what to do with it? Drop it in the comments. And if you've actually gone through the reporting process, I'd love to hear how it went; the good and the frustrating. That's exactly the kind of real-world information that helps everybody else in this community.