Home › Where to Report › Canada
How to report a crypto scam in Canada
In Canada, report cryptocurrency fraud to both your local police service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The distinction matters: the CAFC collects national intelligence but does not investigate individual cases, while a report to your municipal police or RCMP detachment is what creates an investigable file — and what your bank or insurer will ask you for. File with your provincial securities commission as well if the scam was presented as an investment.
Where to report, and what each channel actually does
Not every reporting channel does the same thing. Some can start an investigation; others collect intelligence and will never respond to you individually. Both are worth filing — but only one of them begins a process. File in this order.
Your local police service Police — can lead to an investigation
Municipal police or your RCMP detachment. This creates the file that can be investigated and that third parties will ask you to produce. Many services now accept online fraud reports.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre Intelligence only — no case response
National intelligence collection, jointly operated by the RCMP, OPP and Competition Bureau. The CAFC does not investigate individual complaints — file here in addition to police, not instead.
Provincial securities commission Regulator
OSC (Ontario), AMF (Quebec), BCSC (British Columbia), ASC (Alberta) and others accept investment fraud complaints and publish investor warnings and disciplined-persons lists.
What to include in your report
The transaction IDs are the single most important thing. A report without them is dramatically weaker, because investigators group cases by wallet address.
- Every wallet address you sent funds to
- Transaction IDs (hashes) for each transfer
- Dates, times and amounts
- Every website, app and account name used
- Full chat exports — not screenshots, which lose timestamps
- Bank statements showing money moving to the exchange
Can Canadian courts help?
Canadian courts can grant Norwich orders compelling disclosure from exchanges, and Mareva injunctions to freeze assets. Procedure varies by province. For a substantial and recent loss, a litigator in your own province is the right first call — provincial rules differ enough that this is not a place for generic advice.
If a firm offers to recover your money
Expect to be approached. Victim lists are bought and sold, and recovery fraud specifically targets people who have already lost money once. Before paying anyone, ask what licence they hold, from which regulator, and what the number is.
The licence to demand in Canada
A lawyer in good standing with your provincial law society, or a private investigator licensed under provincial legislation. Both registers are public. Check the number rather than accepting a claim.
Before paying anyone, search your provincial securities commission's disciplined-persons list and the CSA investor alerts. Recovery operators targeting Canadians have been named in both.
A SAM.gov registration is not a licence. A NATO NCAGE code is not a licence. Both are free self-registrations with no vetting behind them, and both are used constantly by fraudulent operators to look official.
Check whether your case is recoverable — free
Frequently asked questions
Does the CAFC investigate my case?
No. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre collects and analyses reports to support law enforcement nationally, but does not investigate individual complaints. Your local police service is what creates an investigable file.
Which police service do I report to?
The one where you live — municipal police, or your local RCMP detachment if there is no municipal force. Many now accept online fraud reports.
Can I recover funds through my bank?
Sometimes for the fiat leg, if you act within days. Canadian banks have limited recall ability on completed transfers, so speed is decisive.
What is a Norwich order?
A court order compelling a third party such as an exchange to disclose information identifying a wrongdoer. It is the usual mechanism for turning a wallet address into a named account holder.
Should I hire a recovery firm?
Only on a contingency basis, in writing, from someone licensed by a named regulator. Anyone charging before recovering anything should be declined.
Does it matter which province I am in?
Yes. Securities regulation and civil procedure are provincial. It affects which regulator handles your complaint and how any civil claim proceeds.