Uncovering fraud: Our fight against fraud
March is Fraud Prevention Month #FPM2025, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is focusing on uncovering fraud by revealing the tactics criminals use to create convincing identities, looking at the impact of fraud on victims and what we are doing to fight fraud. Fraudsters are experts at disguising themselves and creating false identities to manipulate, deceive, and steal from their victims. By exposing these deceptive and fraudulent practices, we aim to empower Canadians to spot fraud before it happens.
This bulletin was prepared to raise awareness on the CAFC’s critical role in protecting Canadians from fraud.
What is the CAFC?
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is a national police service that gathers information on fraud that is happening across Canada and use this information to assists Police of Jurisdiction with enforcement and prevention efforts. The CAFC is jointly managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau of Canada, and the Ontario Provincial Police.
What does the CAFC do?
Fraud is significantly underreported in Canada, with conservative estimates putting reporting to the CAFC at only 5-10% of incidents. There are many reasons for under reporting to the CAFC, including victims knowing where and what to report to victims being to ashamed or embarrassed to report.
Here are some of the reason the CAFC wants you to report.
Educating the public
The CAFC use the information it collects to alerts Canadians about common fraud types. We send fraud warnings out through:
- social media campaigns
- public outreach initiatives
- an intake unit for direct contact
- website and media outlets
If we don’t know a fraud is happening we can’t warn other Canadians.
Supporting canadians
Fraud affects everyone differently, and victims need tailored support. The CAFC’s intake and victim engagement team works one-on-one with victims to:
- let them know they are not alone, fraud is rampant
- provide resources to stop ongoing fraud
- share steps to protect their identity from future attacks
Supporting investigations
The information the CAFC collects plays a vital role in supporting law enforcement investigations by:
- proving the missing piece of the puzzle
- linking suspect information across reports from victims nationwide
- identifying new fraud trends to share with Canadians, preventing further harm
The fraud you report might provide crucial details law enforcement needs to advance their investigations or uncover new types of fraud requiring public awareness.
Become a fraud fighter
- Regularly check the CAFC website for updates on new alerts and types of fraud
- If you encounter or fall victim to fraud, report it to the CAFC immediately
- Share fraud awareness information with your network to help protect them from being a victim
- Stay alert to suspicious activity, unsolicited communications, and requests for personal or financial information
- Fraud can happen to anyone. Don’t be ashamed to share your experience as it can help save a loved one from being a victim
Anyone who suspects they have been the target of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the CAFC’s online or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.
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