Which organizations help fight fraudsters in Canada?

Canada has one of the most developed and coordinated anti-fraud systems in the world, bringing together dozens of federal, provincial, and municipal agencies in a joint effort to protect citizens and businesses from financial crime. This multifaceted network of organizations operates on the principles of cooperation, information sharing, and specialization, enabling it to effectively counter ever-evolving fraud schemes. In 2024, Canadians lost more than $638 million to various types of fraud, underscoring the critical importance of these organizations' work.

The coordinated fight against fraud in Canada is based on the understanding that modern criminals often operate transnationally, using digital technologies to circumvent jurisdictional boundaries. Artificial intelligence and advanced automation are making fraud schemes increasingly sophisticated and large-scale, requiring a corresponding modernization of law enforcement approaches. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, only 5-10% of cases of fraud are reported to law enforcement agencies, which means that the real scale of the problem may be ten times greater than official statistics suggest.

Federal agencies and their role

The central link in the Canadian anti-fraud system is the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), a national service jointly managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Competition Bureau of Canada, and the Ontario Provincial Police. Created to collect and analyze information about fraud across Canada, the CAFC acts as a central repository for complaints and intelligence data on telemarketing, mail fraud, identity theft, Internet fraud, and other consumer scams with a Canadian connection.

The CAFC operates Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time and provides services in English and French through its toll-free hotline at 1-888-495-8501. The organization not only collects complaints, but also actively engages in educational activities, maintaining up-to-date lists of fraudulent schemes and distributing warning materials. The center also cooperates with international law enforcement agencies to coordinate the fight against transnational crime.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) plays a key role in investigating financial crimes through specialized units and integrated teams. The RCMP coordinates the work of the Federal Policing Serious and Organized Crime teams, Integrated Market Enforcement Teams (IMET), and Federal Integrated Money Laundering Investigation Teams. These specialized units work in partnership with other federal agencies, including the Canada Revenue Agency, the Forensic Accounting Management Group, and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. The Financial Crime Coordination Center, formerly known as the Anti-Money Laundering Action, Coordination, and Enforcement Team, was established by the Canadian government in 2019 to bring together experts from various intelligence and law enforcement agencies. This center identifies and counters significant financial crime threats by coordinating efforts between jurisdictions and international partners.

Competition Bureau Canada serves a dual role as both a regulatory body and a law enforcement agency in the fight against fraud. The bureau receives and investigates complaints about deceptive marketing practices, false advertising, and anti-competitive behavior. The organization has the authority to bring legal action against companies and individuals engaged in fraud and deceptive advertising, and conducts educational campaigns to raise consumer awareness of fraudulent practices.

National Cybercrime Coordination Centre and digital security

The National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3) is a specialized unit of the RCMP created to coordinate the fight against cybercrime across Canada. The NC3 includes RCMP officers and civilian specialists from various professional fields and works with law enforcement and other partners to reduce the threats, impact, and victimization of cybercrime.

From April 2021 to the end of August 2022, NC3 received over 2,000 requests for operational assistance from domestic and international law enforcement partners. Approximately 55% of requests to NC3 with a Canadian connection involved ransomware. The centre works closely with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre due to the strong links between fraud and cybercrime.

NC3 is also developing a new National Cybercrime and Fraud Reporting System (NCFRS), which aims to simplify the process of reporting cybercrime and fraud for Canadians and businesses. The system is currently in beta testing and is accepting up to 25 reports per day, gradually increasing this number as the system is refined.

Provincial and regional initiatives

Canada's provinces and territories have their own specialized fraud units that work in close coordination with federal agencies. Serious Fraud Office Ontario (SFO) is an example of an integrated approach, where police and prosecutors work together from the beginning of an investigation to the completion of prosecution. The SFO uses a collaborative model consisting of three units: investigation, prosecution, and support services.

The SFO accepts referrals from the Ontario Provincial Police and police services across Ontario, but does not accept direct referrals from individuals or businesses. The organization only considers serious fraud and complex financial crimes, the criteria for which are based on a balance of various factors, including impact, scale, complexity, and public interest. Serious fraud cases are not limited to fraud-related offences, but may include other types of offences such as theft, corruption, money laundering, or cybercrime.

Regional police services, such as the Peel Regional Police and Halton Regional Police Service, have specialized financial crime units that investigate a wide range of fraud schemes. These services are actively involved in preventive education, conducting crime prevention lectures for the public and providing up-to-date information on new types of fraud.

Financial regulatory authorities

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) plays an important role in protecting consumers of financial services and promoting financial literacy among Canadians. The FCAC oversees compliance by federally regulated financial institutions, external complaint resolution bodies, and payment card network operators with consumer protection measures established by legislation, public commitments, and codes of conduct.

The agency does not oversee financial companies, mutual fund dealers, or securities dealers, but it does provide educational resources and information on protecting against various types of financial fraud. The FCAC publishes information brochures and guides on protecting against identity fraud, debit and credit card fraud, email scams, and telephone scams.

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is also involved in combating fraud, particularly in cases where fraudsters falsely refer to OSFI or claim to be employees of the organization to legitimize their activities. OSFI actively warns the public about such schemes and directs victims to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to report incidents.

Interagency coordination and partnership

The effectiveness of Canada's anti-fraud system depends largely on coordination between different levels of government and specialized agencies. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), through its Special Investigation and Internal Disclosure Directorate, investigates suspected fraud and conflicts of interest in the public sector. This unit is composed of former RCMP and military police investigators, as well as experienced procurement and labor relations specialists.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has its own procedures for combating immigration fraud, working closely with the CAFC to identify and prosecute cases of false documentation or misleading information. The organization provides special support to international students who have been victims of document fraud without their knowledge.

The Canada Revenue Agency coordinates efforts to combat tax fraud, especially schemes where fraudsters pose as CRA employees to obtain personal or financial information. The agency is actively engaged in educational activities through its “Be Scam Smart” campaign and other public awareness initiatives.

Annual campaigns and educational initiatives

Every March, Canada celebrates Fraud Prevention Month, a national campaign that brings together more than 80 organizations across the country to raise awareness about fraud and teach Canadians how to recognize, reject, and report fraudulent schemes. In 2025, the campaign focused on impersonation fraud, one of the fastest-growing types of fraud.

The campaign uses the hashtag #FPM2025 to coordinate efforts on social media and disseminate up-to-date information about new scams. Campaign partners include federal agencies, provincial law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, and the private sector.

Competition Bureau Canada publishes “The Little Black Book of Scams”, a comprehensive guide to the most common types of fraud, which is regularly updated to reflect new trends. The Bureau also produces educational videos on various types of fraud, including small business, employment, and online scams.

Specialized units and integrated teams

Integrated Market Enforcement Teams (IMET) are specialized teams led by the RCMP that investigate criminals who use capital markets to harm the economic interests of Canadians. These teams are made up of police officers, lawyers, and other investigative experts who receive additional training in market issues and are kept up to date on the latest techniques and legal developments in their field.

IMET teams are located in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, but conduct investigations across the country. Partners include Finance Canada, Justice Canada, Public Prosecution Service Canada, securities regulators, and members of the Forensic Accounting Management Group.

Federal Integrated Money Laundering Investigation Teams are integrated partnerships with police partners and other federal agencies, including the Canada Revenue Agency, the Forensic Accounting Management Group, and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. These integrated teams allow the RCMP to be more intelligence-led, maximizing an integrated approach to identifying, seizing, restraining, and confiscating illicit and unreported wealth accumulated by organized crime groups.

International Cooperation and Coordination

Canadian anti-fraud organizations actively collaborate with international partners to combat transnational crime. The CAFC regularly exchanges information with law enforcement and regulatory agencies in the US and abroad to help bring fraudsters to justice. NC3 also receives requests for operational assistance from international law enforcement partners, demonstrating the recognition of Canadian expertise in combating cybercrime.

Competition Bureau Canada participates in international initiatives to combat fraud and anti-competitive practices, working with similar organizations in other countries to share best practices and coordinate investigations of cross-border cases.

Community and non-profit organizations

Alongside government agencies, numerous community and non-profit organizations play an important role in combating fraud in Canada. Many of these organizations specialize in protecting vulnerable populations, such as seniors, new immigrants, or people with disabilities.

Consumer protection organizations at the provincial level work with federal agencies to provide localized support and education. They often serve as the first line of defense, providing advice and assistance to victims of fraud and referring cases to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

Financial institutions also play an active role in combating fraud through their own security departments and customer protection programs. Banks, credit unions, and other financial organizations work with government agencies to share information about new fraud schemes and develop preventive measures.

Technological innovations and future developments

Canadian anti-fraud organizations are actively implementing new technologies to improve their effectiveness. The development of the National Cybercrime and Fraud Reporting System represents a significant step forward in modernizing fraud reporting and analysis processes. The system uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify patterns and connections between different cases of fraud.

The integration of biometric technologies, blockchain for document verification, and the expanded use of big data analytics enable law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute fraudsters more quickly. Collaboration with technology companies is also contributing to the development of new tools to protect consumers from digital fraud.

Challenges and prospects for development

Despite impressive resources and coordination, Canada's anti-fraud system faces ongoing challenges. Low fraud reporting rates (only 5-10% of cases) mean that a significant portion of criminal activity remains undetected. The rapid evolution of technology, particularly artificial intelligence and deep fakes, creates new opportunities for fraudsters. The transnational nature of modern fraud also creates jurisdictional challenges that require even closer international cooperation. Organizations continue to work to improve coordination between different levels of government and simplify information sharing between agencies.

Educational activities remain a key priority, as the best defense against fraud is informed and vigilant citizens. Organizations are constantly adapting their educational programs to new fraud schemes and technological developments, using social media, digital platforms, and traditional media to reach the widest possible audience.

Conclusion

Canada's anti-fraud system represents one of the most comprehensive and effective approaches in the world, combining the resources and expertise of dozens of organizations in a joint effort to protect citizens and the economy from financial crime. The system's constant evolution in response to new threats ensures its ability to effectively counter modern challenges of fraud and cybercrime.