Recognizing a scam
As Canada’s central bank, the Bank of Canada:
- does not accept deposits from or on behalf of individuals
- does not request the transfer of funds or payments from individuals
- does not get involved in or partner with companies or individuals in investment schemes
- does not collect personal or financial information from individuals through email or by telephone
- does not request personal or financial information through social media messaging applications
- does not sell or issue any form of cryptoasset
The Bank’s employees and officers:
- do not request personal or financial information by telephone, email or through social media messaging applications
- do not participate in any internet-based communications that request information or payment for services
Reporting a scam
Take the following steps if you have concerns about the contents of any call or internet-based communication that purports to be from the Bank or about the Bank’s involvement in any investment scheme or suspicious activity:
- Delete the email or message after contacting your local authorities.
- Do not follow links. Access the Bank’s website by typing the URL yourself—https://www.bankofcanada.ca—and look for references to the program identified in the email.
- Call our Public Information Office at 1‑800‑303‑1282 (toll-free in North America), or send us an with details of the scam.
- Optionally, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
If you suspect your information may have been compromised, you may also wish to take precautionary measures to safeguard financial and personal information online, such as:
- updating any passwords for credit cards, financial or other accounts
- enabling multi-factor authentication on all accounts online
- monitoring your financial and personal online accounts for any unusual activity
