If online shopping fraud, phishing, or an impersonation scam is why you're here, the national numbers put you in very large company. The bigger problem is that most people in that company never file a report at all.
What's Actually Happening
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) recorded $704 million in reported fraud losses in 2025, up from $643 million in 2024 — a roughly 300% increase since 2020. Identity fraud, investment fraud, and service fraud (which covers most online-shopping and subscription scams) were the most frequently reported types. The CAFC itself estimates that fewer than 1 in 10 frauds are ever reported, meaning the real national loss figure is almost certainly several times higher.
Why So Few People Report It
Two reasons come up constantly: people don't know reporting is separate from getting their money back, and they don't know the right order to do things in. Reporting to the CAFC doesn't recover funds by itself — but skipping it means the pattern behind a scam (the account, the phone number, the fake storefront) never gets flagged for anyone else.
The Reporting Order That Actually Works
1Contact your bank or card issuer immediately if money already moved — this is time-sensitive, especially for a credit card chargeback.
2Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501) — this documents the pattern even though it won't recover funds directly.
3File with local police if you have specific loss details — required for some insurance claims and larger cases.
Not sure if a message or seller is real before you act? Verify it first, free, before you report or pay anything.
Verify a Document Now →Sources & Verification
Figures in this article are drawn from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's own reporting and coverage of its 2025 data, including:
Learn more about how ComplaintCA verifies information on our About page.