Important Update regarding Western Union money transfers
Western Union money transfers
If you were a victim of a scam, and the scammers had you pay via Western Union, you can now file a claim to get money back. The Federal Trade Commission is alerting consumers who lost money to scammers who told them to pay via Western Union's money transfer system between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, that they can now file a claim to get their money back by going to Federal Trade Commission Western Union Refunds. Canadian consumers are eligible to make claims. All claims must be filed by May 31, 2018.
Get Cyber Safe is a national public awareness campaign created to educate Canadians about Internet security and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves online. The campaign's goal is to bring together all levels of government, the public and private sectors, and the international community, to help Canadians be safer online.
The campaign is an important component of Canada's Cyber Security Strategy, which is dedicated to securing government systems, partnering to secure vital cyber systems outside the federal government, and helping Canadians to be secure online.
The campaign is being led by Public Safety Canada on behalf of the Government of Canada.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is the central agency in Canada that collects information and criminal intelligence on such matters as mass marketing fraud (e.g., telemarketing), advance fee fraud (e.g., West African letters), Internet fraud and identification theft complaints.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre Website
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre estimates that less than 5% of mass marketing fraud is ever reported.
This is how You can Report a Scam, Online Fraud, or Cyber Crime.
Report an incident
It's not always easy to spot a scam, and new ones are invented every day. If you suspect that you may be a target of fraud, or if you have already sent funds, don't be embarrassed - you're not alone. If you want to report a fraud, or if you need more information, contact The Canadian Anti- Fraud Centre:
Ways to report fraud
By Phone
Toll Free: 1-888-495-8501
Hours of operation
Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 4:45 pm Eastern Time
Online - CAFC Fraud Reporting System
Fraud can now be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) through a new, easy to use, Fraud Reporting System (FRS). You can log into the tool using either:
GC Key (User ID/Password) Sign-In Partners (Banking Credentials)
A GCKey account or a Sign-In Partners login uses unique electronic credentials that allow you to communicate securely with the Government of Canada.
This new login is a federal government mandate and all Government of Canada on-line services are to be delivered through the GCKey or Sign-In Partners, providing increased levels of privacy and security for users. By offering a choice of credentials, the Government of Canada is making its online services more convenient and easier to use. Many individuals already use their online banking credentials regularly and being able to use these same credentials to access Government of Canada services online will simply mean one less User ID and password to remember.
Please note: The Fraud Reporting System has a timeout feature that will log you out if there is no activity within 20 consecutive minutes. Prior to the timing out, the application will pop-up a message asking you to reset your session. If you timed out, you will be logged out of the application. No data will be lost but you will not be able to log back into the application to complete your complaint. If you require additional information to be added to your complaint, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for further assistance.
What is GCKey?
GCKey is a service provided by the Government of Canada that allows you to securely conduct online business with various government programs and services, including reporting fraud to the CAFC. Registering for a GCKey account is simply and easy to do. If you already have a GCKey account, you can proceed directly to the CAFC's Fraud Reporting System.
What is a Sign-In Partner?
Sign-In Partners are organizations that have partnered with SecureKey Technologies to enable their customers to use their online credentials, such as card numbers or user names and passwords, to access Government of Canada services. Currently there are five Sign-In Partners: BMO Financial Group, CHOICE REWARDS MasterCard , Tangerine, Scotiabank and TD Bank Group.
Banking information is not shared when you use a Sign-In Partner. The technology is designed in such a way that the Government of Canada will not know which Sign-In Partner (or financial institution) you have used. Similarly, the bank will not know which government department or agency its customer contacted.
This section of the website will be regularly updated. Please visit again for up-to-date information about how to safeguard yourself from online scams, online fraud, and cybercrime.
Date modified: Wednesday, 2018-02-28
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