By reporting a scam, you provide law enforcement with the information they need to stop fraudsters and help prevent others from becoming victims. The information you provide is important! Reporting fraud or suspected fraud to your local law enforcement agency ensures the police in your jurisdiction are aware that a scammer may be targeting local businesses. Keep a listing of all calls you make to the police and any file number they might provide for your fraud report for future reference.
You can also file a report of a misleading or deceptive marketing practice with the Competition Bureau using the online complaint form. If you have already sent money, notify the financial institution you sent the money to. This might be a money service business such as Western Union or MoneyGram, a bank or a credit union, a credit card company, or an Internet payment service provider.
Tell them you are reporting fraudulent activity associated with their account. If the fraud took place online, such as through Facebook, eBay, a classified ad website such as Kijiji, or a dating website, be sure to report the incident directly to the website. Details on how to do this can be found under the "report abuse" or "report an ad" links on the respective sites. While the Competition Bureau does not investigate many of the following scams, we work with many enforcement bodies to help address them.
Contact your local consumer affairs office to request an investigation into a scam that appears to come from within your own province or territory. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau to file a complaint or leave a review about a business. In addition to reporting all scams to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre, you should alert your bank or financial institution about any suspicious correspondence you receive regarding your account.
They can advise you on what to do next. To contact your bank or financial institution, make sure you use the contact information provided through official banking sources such as your online banking account, account statement, or the back of your bank or credit card. If you suspect that someone is using your social insurance number SIN fraudulently, act quickly to help prevent personal loss and minimize the negative impact. You can report instances of misleading or deceptive marketing practices to the Competition Bureau using the online complaint form or by telephone at Before you donate money to a charity, research the organization to ensure it is legitimate.
