How To Report A Crypto Scam In Canada: CAFC, Police And Your Bank

How Do You Report A Crypto Scam To The RCMP?

The RCMP does not run a separate crypto-scam hotline, so the practical route is the national reporting system. The CAFC works alongside local police and the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre, and its page explains that local police are positioned to investigate the incident while the CAFC supports law enforcement by sharing the information from reports. So you file with the CAFC online or by phone, and you also contact your local police. Victims and witnesses should both report, because the CAFC builds patterns across many cases. The online system allows anonymous reports, but give your details if you want police to follow up with you.

What Should You Do In The First Hour?

1. Stop sending money. Scammers push for one more payment, such as a "release fee" or "tax". Any request like that is part of the scam.
2. Call your bank. If you paid from a bank account or card, tell the fraud team what happened and ask what can be stopped. Be clear that it was a fraud, not a purchase dispute.
3. Contact the platform or ATM operator. Give them the transaction ID, the amount, the time and the destination address.
4. Secure your accounts. Change passwords, move remaining coins to a new wallet if you shared a seed phrase, and turn on app-based two-factor authentication.
5. Take screenshots before anything disappears. Chats, profile pages, websites, receipts.
6. File with the CAFC and the police.

What Evidence Should You Collect?

• Wallet addresses and transaction IDs for every transfer
• The name, handle, phone number, email and website of the scammer
• Messages, call logs and screenshots of the "platform" or "dashboard" you were shown
• Bank statements and ATM receipts
• A timeline in your own words, written the same day

Police and the CAFC can only work with what you can show them. A clear list of transaction IDs is worth more than a long story.

Can You Get Your Money Back After A Crypto Scam?

Often not, and I would rather say so than give false hope. The CAFC warns that crypto payments do not carry the protection of credit card payments, and that scammers rely on that. A few things can help: a bank that acts quickly on a recent transfer, an exchange that freezes a receiving address before the funds move on, and law enforcement action later. Be wary of anyone who contacts you offering to "recover" your crypto for a fee. That is a second scam on the same victim. My advice here is based on the CAFC's guidance and general experience, and it is not legal advice.

What Do Crypto Investment Scams Look Like?

The CAFC describes a pattern often called pig butchering. A stranger builds trust over weeks, shows you a polished trading site with fake profits, lets you withdraw a small amount, then pushes you to deposit far more. When you try to withdraw, you are told to pay fees or taxes. Warning signs include guaranteed returns, pressure to move to a private chat, an unregistered platform and requests to buy through a Bitcoin ATM. No government agency will ever ask you to pay in crypto. My guide to common crypto scams in Canada shows more examples.

What If The Scam Involved A Bitcoin ATM?

Report it the same way, and contact the operator with the machine's location, the time, the amount and the destination wallet address printed on the receipt. On May 6, 2026, Finance Canada said the Spring Economic Update proposed to ban crypto ATMs, citing studies that linked 85% to 98% of transactions to illicit activity and estimated fraud losses of $142 million to $284 million in 2024. I found no confirmation that the ban has passed. If you are still thinking of using one, read how to use a Bitcoin ATM in Canada first, and see my Instacoin review for one operator's published fees.

How Do You Check If A Platform Is Legitimate Before You Pay?

Check the CSA's list of crypto platforms authorized to do business with Canadians, and the banned list. On my ranking, the registered options start with Coinbase, Kraken, Wealthsimple Crypto and Newton. FINTRAC registration alone is anti-money-laundering registration, not investor protection. See what CIRO covers for how the categories differ.

What If The Scammer Pretended To Be A Government Agency?

That is a scam by definition. The CAFC states that no government agency will ever request payment in crypto, so a caller claiming to be from the CRA, the police or a court who tells you to buy Bitcoin is lying. Hang up, do not call back the number they gave you, and look up the agency's real number yourself. If you already sent money, follow the steps above.

What Should You Do After You Have Reported?

• Keep the report number the CAFC or police give you, and quote it in follow-ups with your bank and the platform.
• Watch for follow-up scams. People who have been scammed are targeted again, often by someone offering to recover the money.
• If you shared ID documents, consider asking the credit bureaus about fraud alerts. This is my suggestion, not CAFC guidance.
• Tell family or friends who might have been approached through you.