Holiday shopping season is when fake online stores, resale-ticket sellers and gift-card requests show up most. If you already paid, the order of your calls matters: the sooner your bank and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre hear about it, the better your chances of recovery.
Red Flags Before You Pay
The Government of Canada's holiday scams campaign highlights a few patterns worth knowing:
- Fake or unfamiliar retailers. Buy from retailers that are genuine and research a seller before you pay. Counterfeit or inferior goods can also be a health risk.
- Gift cards as payment. Legitimate businesses and organizations will not request gift cards as payment. Treat that request as a warning sign.
- Tampered or resold gift cards. Check in-store cards for tampering, and buy online gift cards from the business directly, not from resale or auction sites.
- Too-good-to-be-true prices. A deep discount, plus pressure to pay immediately and only by e-transfer, crypto or gift card, is the classic pattern for ticket and marketplace scams.
If You Already Paid: 6 Steps in Order
- Collect everything. Names, phone numbers, website address, screenshots, receipts and chat messages. Do not delete the conversation.
- Call your local police and keep the file number. The Competition Bureau says it is especially important to call police if you have lost money.
- Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) online or at 1-888-495-8501.
- Tell the bank, credit union, card company or payment provider that handled the money. Do this as early as possible.
- Report it on the platform where it happened (marketplace, social media or classified site) using its report-abuse or report-ad link.
- Ask Equifax and TransUnion for a fraud alert and a free credit report if you shared personal details.
Who Handles What
| Situation | Report to |
|---|---|
| Lost money to a fake seller or ticket scam | Local police + CAFC (1-888-495-8501) |
| Misleading ad or deceptive marketing by a real business | Competition Bureau (1-800-348-5358) |
| Paid by card or online payment service | Your card issuer or payment provider, as soon as possible |
| Fake listing or profile | The platform's report-abuse tool |
Beware of "Recovery" Offers
After you report, you may be contacted by someone who claims they can recover your money for a fee. The Government of Canada identifies these offers as scams too. Real recovery goes through your bank, card issuer and police, not through a stranger who messages you.
Not sure which agency fits your case? Draft your report in minutes.
Draft It With Asya →Frequently Asked
Should I report a scam if I only lost a small amount?
Yes. Reports help police and the CAFC spot patterns, and your bank can only act if you tell it.
Who do I call first?
If you sent money, start with your bank or payment provider and local police, then report to the CAFC. Do all three on the same day if you can.
Can I get my money back?
It depends on how you paid and how fast you act. Acting quickly improves the chances, which is why the first call should be to the institution that moved the money.
What if the seller is a real business that just did not deliver?
That is usually a consumer dispute rather than a fraud. Start with a written complaint to the seller, then your card issuer, and see the related guides below.
A safer way to buy tickets and gifts
Prevention costs less than recovery. Buy tickets from the venue or an official resale marketplace where the seat is guaranteed, and compare the price with the face value before you commit. Pay by credit card rather than by transfer, because a card dispute is possible and a transfer is usually not.
Be sceptical of sellers who ask you to move the chat off the platform, send a deposit to "hold" seats, or pay in a form you cannot reverse. For online shops, search for the company's name with the word "complaints", check that the address and phone number exist, and read how returns work before you buy.
Passing the warning on
People most often lose money to sellers who appear in a friend's feed or a marketplace listing. Share these warning signs with relatives who are new to online shopping: unusually low prices, pressure to pay immediately and requests to leave the platform. A two-minute conversation costs less than a chargeback fight.
Sources & Verification
Figures and contacts in this article come from official sources:
- Competition Bureau: How to report fraud and scams in Canada
- Get Cyber Safe: Top 12 scams of the holidays
General information, not legal advice. Details and deadlines can change, so confirm with the agency before acting. Our About page explains how we check what we publish.