The warning signs
Almost every scam has at least one of these:
- Pressure to act now: “you’ll be arrested”, “your account is frozen”, “the offer ends today”.
- An unusual way to pay: gift cards, crypto, a bitcoin ATM, a wire transfer or an Interac e-Transfer to someone you don’t know.
- A request for a code, password or PIN. One-time codes are for you alone.
- Contact out of the blue, by text, call, email or social media, even if it looks official or shows a real number.
- Something too good to be true: guaranteed investment returns, a prize you didn’t enter, an easy well-paid job.
- Being told to keep it secret from your family or your bank.
Common scams in Canada
| Scam | How it works |
|---|---|
| CRA impersonation | You “owe tax” and will be arrested or deported unless you pay today |
| SIN or Service Canada | Your Social Insurance Number is “suspended” or “linked to a crime” |
| Bank investigator | Your bank’s “fraud team” asks you to move money or hand your card to a courier |
| Grandparent or emergency | A “grandchild” or “officer” needs bail or hospital money, in cash, urgently |
| Text scams | A CRA refund, a Canada Post parcel, a toll or a hydro bill, with a link to a fake site |
| Online marketplace | A buyer “overpays” by e-Transfer and asks for the extra back, or a seller wants a deposit |
| Investment and crypto | An online contact or a deepfake celebrity ad shows you huge gains, then you can’t withdraw |
| Romance | Someone you’ve never met in person needs money urgently |
| Jobs and “tasks” | Small payments at first, then you must deposit money to unlock more |
Protect yourself
- Turn on two-step verification for your online banking, email and CRA My Account.
- Never share one-time codes. Your bank will never ask for them.
- Call back on a number you’ve looked up yourself, such as the one on your card or on canada.ca.
- Check e-Transfers in your banking app, not through an email or text link: fake deposit notifications are common, and an e-Transfer you send usually can’t be reversed once it’s deposited.
- Before you invest, check the person or firm is registered with your provincial securities regulator, using the Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Registration Search.
- Check the CRA’s real messages in My Account, not through links.
If you’ve been scammed
- Call your bank or card issuer straight away. The sooner you call, the better the chance of stopping a payment.
- Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and your local police. Keep screenshots, receipts and the scammer’s details.
- Change your passwords, starting with your email and bank.
- Contact Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada to add a fraud alert, and check your credit reports for accounts you don’t recognize. If your SIN was taken, tell Service Canada.
- Beware of “recovery” offers. People who promise to get your money back for a fee are often the same scammers.
Being scammed isn’t something to be embarrassed about: scammers are professionals, and reporting it helps stop them. See our free money help page for more places to turn, and credit scores explained for how to check your reports.