How to report a phishing email or scam text in Canada
Got a suspicious message? Here is what to do, who to tell in Canada, and how to protect your accounts if you already clicked.
By Luis Freitas
Illustration: CybersecurityNews.ca
At a glance
Audience
Individuals & families
Small business
Difficulty
Beginner
Time needed (minutes)
10 min
Last reviewed
What you need
- The suspicious message (do not delete it yet)
Key takeaways
- Forward scam texts to 7726
- Lost money or data? Call your bank first, then the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
- Change any password you typed into a fake page
Reporting scams helps police and banks warn others and, sometimes, recover money. Here is what to do in Canada when a suspicious email or text arrives.
Steps
- Do not click, reply or call back. Links and phone numbers in scam messages lead to the criminals.
- Scam text? Forward it to 7726 (SPAM). Canadian carriers use these reports to block scam numbers.
- Scam email? Use your email program's "Report phishing" or "Report junk" button, then delete it.
- Lost money or shared personal or banking information? Call your bank right away, then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.
- Change any password you may have typed into a fake page, and turn on multi-factor authentication for that account.
Businesses should also tell their IT provider, so the same message can be blocked for all staff.
