The legal framework
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre takes reports by phone and online and feeds police investigations, but does not recover funds itself. The police report goes to the local force. Credit cards allow a chargeback; electronic transfers are very difficult to recover. Investment fraud goes to the provincial securities regulator. Identity theft is handled through fraud alerts placed with the two national credit bureaus.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre collects reports nationally and feeds intelligence to police forces, but it does not investigate individual cases — that falls to your local police. Reimbursement depends on your account agreement rather than on statute: for unauthorised transactions, card and banking codes generally protect you; for a transfer you authorised after being deceived, there is no equivalent to the British reimbursement rule.
Key points
| Reporting | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, by phone or online |
|---|---|
| Police report | Local police force, separately |
| Credit card | Chargeback available, with a short deadline |
| Electronic transfer | Very difficult to recover once accepted |
| Investment fraud | Provincial securities regulator |
| Identity theft | Fraud alerts with the two credit bureaus |
| Reimbursement | Governed by the account agreement, not by statute |
In practice
- Report to the anti-fraud centre even where nothing was lost: it is how networks are mapped.
- Request a chargeback in writing from the card issuer, within the scheme deadline.
- Place a fraud alert with both credit bureaus if identity documents were shared.
- Read the account agreement clause on unauthorised transactions before accepting a refusal.
Cost and coverage
Reporting is free; chargebacks are free to request.
Where to go
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Local police force.
- Your bank's fraud department, immediately.
- Provincial securities regulator, for investment fraud.
Worth knowing
Recovery here is contractual, not statutory. The wording of your account agreement, not the law, decides whether the bank pays — which makes reading it the first step in any dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Will the bank refund an e-transfer I sent myself?
Usually not. Interac e-Transfers are treated as authorised payments, and once claimed they are very difficult to recover. Unauthorised card transactions are a different matter and are generally covered. Report to your bank within minutes; if the transfer has not been deposited it can sometimes be cancelled.
How do romance scams usually work?
A months-long build-up of affection, always with a reason not to meet or to video-call, followed by a first emergency — a medical bill, a customs charge, a blocked transfer — and then an escalating series of them. The newer variant adds an investment platform that shows a rising balance you can never withdraw. The tell is not the story; it is that money must always move away from you, and quickly.
Official sources and links
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre — report online or call 1-888-495-8501
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner — if personal data was exposed
- Emergency — 911 — if the threat is immediate
- Canadian Securities Administrators — investor alerts — national registration search and alerts on unregistered platforms
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security — alerts and advice for individuals
- Canada.ca — official government portal
- Justice Laws Website — federal statutes and regulations