Scams, Fraud & Money Recovery
After a scam in Canada: report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501, claim a refund through your bank, and escalate free to OBSI / FCAC. For credit-card chargebacks, use our chargeback dispute letter template.
Covered in this guide:
Canada's scam-recovery system runs across three institutions. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or 1-888-495-8501 is the central reporting hub — operated jointly by RCMP, Competition Bureau Canada, and the Ontario Provincial Police. Reports feed pattern intelligence and the Fraud Reporting System; local investigation by RCMP / provincial police / municipal police. For credit-card chargebacks, federal protection under the Bank Act + card-network rules. For bank disputes, the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) handles complaints free for consumers; OBSI award cap was raised to CAD 350,000 from 1 November 2021 (subject to OBSI Terms of Reference). The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) supervises federally-regulated banks on consumer protection.
Emergency: 911. CAFC: 1-888-495-8501.
Key Laws
Criminal Code (Canada) — Fraud, Identity Theft, Computer Crimes
Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46, ss.342 (credit card theft), 342.01 (instrument-making for credit-card fraud), 380 (fraud), 402.2 (identity fraud), 430 (mischief in relation to data); Bank Act for financial-institution-specific provisions
Federal criminal framework. Fraud over CAD 5,000 — up to 14 years; identity fraud — up to 10 years; computer-data mischief — up to 10 years.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC)
Joint operation of RCMP, Competition Bureau Canada, and OPP
National central agency engaged in education, intake, and analysis of fraud reports. Reports feed pattern intelligence and the Fraud Reporting System. Reports route to local police for investigation.
OBSI — Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments
Established under industry framework; recognised by FCAC + provincial securities regulators
Free external dispute resolution for retail consumers of Canadian banking and investment services. Award cap CAD 350,000 (banking) since 1 Nov 2021. Recommendations not legally binding but firms normally comply (public naming of non-compliance).
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act, SC 2001, c.9
Federal regulator overseeing consumer-protection obligations of federally-regulated financial institutions. Supervises banks' compliance with the Bank Act consumer-protection framework + voluntary codes (e.g., Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry).
First 24 Hours After Being Scammed
Three jobs in parallel. Call your bank's fraud line — banks have internal anti-fraud rules under FCAC supervision; for credit cards, you have rights under the Bank Act + card-network chargeback rules....
Reporting Cybercrime to CAFC and Local Police
Canada's cybercrime reporting structure is two-tier. Reports go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca for national intelligence and pattern analysis. Investig...
Recovering Money from a Canadian Bank via OBSI
Canada's money-recovery framework is two-step. Step 1: bank complaint. Federally-regulated banks have a 56-day window to respond under the Bank Act consumer-complaint framework supervised by FCAC. For...
How to Complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC)
Canada's privacy enforcement architecture is split between federal and provincial regulators. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) handles complaints under:PIPEDA — for federally-reg...