Warning: Fraudsters impersonating the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre itself

In this scheme, someone contacts a person by phone, email, or text claiming to work for the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). They say they are investigating a fraud the person was involved in, or — in a common variant — that they can help recover money the person previously lost to a scam. To "proceed," they ask for personal details, banking information, or an upfront processing fee.

This approach is especially effective against people who have already been scammed once, since the offer to recover lost funds plays directly on their hope of getting money back, and the caller's claimed government affiliation lends false authority to the request. Anyone who has previously reported a fraud, or whose information appears in data tied to a prior scam, can be targeted this way.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has issued a direct alert confirming that it does not contact individuals to request money, and that it does not call, text, or email people offering to recover funds. Any contact claiming to be from the CAFC asking for payment or financial details should be treated as fraudulent.