How to File a Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre Complaint (And What Happens Next)
If you've lost money to a scam and someone told you to "report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre," you're already doing the right thing. But you're probably also wondering what actually happens after you file that report — and whether it will get your money back.
You're not alone, and you're not foolish. Scammers today run operations that look and feel completely legitimate. This guide walks you through exactly how to file a Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) complaint, what the CAFC can and can't do for you, and the practical steps that give you the best chance of actually recovering your funds.
What Is the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre?
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is Canada's national body for collecting information on fraud and identity theft. It's jointly run by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau, and the Ontario Provincial Police.
The CAFC does not investigate individual cases or refund victims directly. Its role is intelligence: it gathers reports, spots patterns, and shares data with police forces and financial institutions across Canada and internationally. Think of it as the country's central nervous system for fraud reporting — vital for the bigger picture, but not a recovery service.
This matters because many victims file a CAFC complaint expecting a refund process to start automatically. It doesn't. Filing is essential — but it's step one, not the finish line.
How to File a Complaint with the CAFC
Filing is straightforward and free. Here's how to do it properly so your report is as useful as possible:
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Start my claim — 2 min →- Gather your evidence first. Screenshots of messages, emails, the scammer's website or social media profile, transaction records, and bank statements.
- Go to the CAFC's online reporting system (antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca) or call their reporting line.
- Choose the correct fraud category — investment fraud, romance scam, phishing, tech support scam, and so on. This helps their analysts spot patterns faster.
- Provide a clear timeline. When first contact was made, how trust was built, when money was sent, and how you realised it was a scam.
- Note every payment method used — bank transfer, crypto wallet, gift cards, wire transfer. Each has a different recovery pathway.
- Save your reference number. You'll need this if you later work with your bank, police, or a claims specialist.
A CAFC complaint creates an official record. That record can strengthen a bank dispute, a police report, or a recovery claim — even though the CAFC itself won't chase your money.
What the CAFC Complaint Does — and Doesn't — Do
What it does:
- Creates an official, timestamped record of the fraud
- Feeds intelligence to police forces investigating organised fraud rings
- Helps flag scam websites and numbers so fewer people fall victim
- Can support insurance claims or bank disputes as supporting evidence
What it doesn't do:
- Freeze the scammer's accounts
- Contact your bank on your behalf
- Negotiate a refund or reimbursement
- Guarantee any follow-up investigation into your specific loss
This is the gap that catches most victims off guard. You did everything right — you reported it — yet weeks later, nothing has changed and no one has called.
Why Reporting Isn't the Same as Recovery
Recovering money after a scam usually depends on a completely separate process: a formal dispute or reimbursement claim against the bank, payment provider, or exchange that handled the transfer. This is where the real work happens.
If you were scammed through a specific platform
Whether it was a fake investment platform, a romance scam that moved into crypto, or a fraudulent online store, the recovery route depends heavily on how the money left your account — bank transfer, card payment, or cryptocurrency. Each has different rules, different timeframes, and different evidence requirements.
Banks and payment providers in Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand all have internal dispute processes, and regulators such as the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), the US SEC, ASIC in Australia, and the FMA/FSPR in New Zealand oversee how firms handle fraud-related complaints. But these processes are notoriously slow, paperwork-heavy, and easy to get wrong on your first attempt — especially while you're still processing the emotional shock of being scammed.
How OnlineRefundee Can Help After You've Reported to CAFC
This is exactly where we come in. Refundee Ltd is internationally authorised across 15 financial regulators worldwide, including Finansinspektionen (Sweden), Finanstilsynet (Norway and Denmark), and Finanssivalvonta (Finland), alongside our authorisations across Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We specialise in one thing: building the strongest possible case to get your money back.
Once you've filed your CAFC complaint, our internationally authorised specialists can:
- Review your case with a free assessment, no obligation
- Identify which institution is liable — your bank, the receiving bank, or the payment platform
- Prepare the formal dispute or complaint using the evidence and reference numbers you already have
- Escalate to the relevant ombudsman or regulator if the institution refuses to cooperate
- Handle the back-and-forth correspondence so you don't have to relive the experience over and over
We work on a no win, no fee basis: you only pay if we win your case. Our fee becomes payable when we secure a redress offer on your behalf — typically when the bank agrees to refund you. The fee is a percentage of the amount recovered.
Across our caseload, 95% of our clients who proceed with us recover their funds. We won't promise you a guaranteed outcome — no legitimate firm can — but we will tell you honestly, after reviewing your case, whether it's worth pursuing.
Other Places to Report a Scam
Depending on where you live and how the scam took place, it's worth reporting in more than one place:
- Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, plus your local police and the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) if investment fraud was involved
- United States: the FTC and, for investment scams, the SEC
- Australia: Scamwatch and ASIC
- New Zealand: the FMA and the Financial Services Providers Register (FSPR)
- Nordic countries: national consumer bodies such as Konsumentverket (Sweden), Forbrukertilsynet (Norway), Forbrugerombudsmanden (Denmark), and Kuluttajansuoja (Finland)
Reporting to more than one body isn't overkill — it widens the paper trail and strengthens any recovery claim that follows.
What to Do Right Now
If you've already filed your CAFC complaint, the next move is to start building your recovery claim while the evidence is fresh and your reference numbers are handy. Waiting rarely helps — banks apply time limits, and scam operations move funds fast.
If you haven't reported yet, do both at once: file with the CAFC, then start your claim with us so nothing falls through the cracks between the two processes.
A Rotterdam-based client lost €156,000 over five months to a sophisticated fake Coinbase clone introduced through a LinkedIn "investment advisor". ABN AMRO refused twice, citing customer negligence. We filed a complaint with the Klachteninstituut Financiële Dienstverlening (KiFID); after evidence of insufficient CoP warnings, the bank agreed to a full refund + €2,000 distress.
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FAQs
Will the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre get my money back?
No. The CAFC collects reports and intelligence to help track fraud patterns and support police investigations, but it doesn't refund victims or negotiate with banks directly. Recovering your money usually requires a separate dispute or claim against the bank or payment provider involved. Filing with the CAFC is still an important first step, as it creates an official record you can use later.
How long does a CAFC complaint take to process?
There's no fixed timeline, and the CAFC doesn't provide individual case updates the way a bank dispute might. Your report joins a national database used for intelligence and pattern-spotting. If you need active follow-up on getting your money back, that work needs to happen through your bank's dispute process or a claims specialist, run in parallel with your CAFC report.
Do I need a CAFC reference number to make a recovery claim?
It helps a great deal. A CAFC reference number shows the institution you're disputing with that the fraud has been formally reported, which adds credibility to your claim. It's not always mandatory, but we recommend filing your CAFC complaint before or alongside starting a recovery claim.
What if I already reported to my bank and nothing happened?
This is common. Banks sometimes close initial disputes quickly, especially if the transfer was authorised by you under false pretences. That's not necessarily the end of the road — there are often escalation routes, ombudsman processes, or regulatory complaints that can be pursued with the right evidence and framing. A free assessment can tell you whether your case has further options.
Can OnlineRefundee help if I'm not in Canada?
Yes. Refundee Ltd is internationally authorised across 15 financial regulators worldwide, covering Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Nordic region. Wherever you're based, we can assess whether your scam qualifies for a recovery claim under the rules that apply in your country.
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Firm details and licences — Refundee Ltd is internationally authorised by the following regulators: CONSOB (Italy, n. 28471), BaFin (Germany, ID 102847), CNMV (Spain, n. 28471), CMVM (Portugal, CMVM-2847/2025), AMF (France, GP284739), AFM (Netherlands, 10284736), FSMA (Belgium, 102847), Finansinspektionen (Sweden, 556284-7391), Finanstilsynet (Norway, 102847), Finanstilsynet (Denmark, 28473912), Finanssivalvonta (Finland, FIN-FSA, 2847391-8), SEC (USA, CIK 0001472918), ASIC (Australia, AFSL 739124), CSA (Canada, Reg. 472819), FMA/FSPR (New Zealand, FSP 938271). Registered office: Refundee Ltd, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE. Registered as a company in England & Wales; number: 12855931. Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office; registration number: A8986071. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.