TL;DR: The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received over 112,000 fraud reports in 2025 with more than C$704 million in reported losses, up from C$638 million in 2024 (2025 figures published February 2026). Investment fraud was the costliest at C$351 million, ahead of spear phishing (C$67.9 million), romance (C$63.3 million) and job scams (C$50.6 million). The CAFC says only 5 to 10 per cent of fraud is reported.

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Reported losses by year

The CAFC collects reports from victims across Canada. Its figures are reports, not a measure of all fraud, and the CAFC and the Competition Bureau say only 5 to 10 per cent of fraud connected to Canadian victims is reported.

CAFC reported fraud losses by year
YearReported losses (C$)Reports
2021379 million (restated about 383 million)not shown
2022530.4 millionnot shown
2023about 578 million*not shown
2024over 638 million108,878 (34,621 victims)
2025over 704 millionover 112,000

* RCMP Gazette quoting the CAFC; a CAFC presentation shows $572 million, and no official CAFC 2023 annual page was available. The 2022 CAFC report restated 2021 from $379 million to about $383 million.

Canada's reported losses rose every year, on either 2023 figure cited above (RCMP: C$578 million; CAFC presentation: C$572 million). The Competition Bureau says they now exceed C$2.4 billion for 2022 to 2025 combined. Per resident, 2025 losses work out to about C$17 using Statistics Canada's preliminary April 2026 population of 41,417,056 (our calculation).

The top 10 frauds by money lost

Top 10 frauds by reported loss, Canada 2025 (C$ million)Investments 351 million Canadian dollars, spear phishing 67.9, relationship 63.3, job 50.6, fraud investigator 28.3, recovery pitch 25.9, extortion 23, service 19.5, merchandise 11.7, prize 5.7.Top 10 frauds by reported loss, Canada 2025 (C$ million)InvestmentsC$351MSpear phishingC$67.9MRelationship (romance)C$63.3MJobC$50.6MFraud investigatorC$28.3MRecovery pitchC$25.9MExtortionC$23MServiceC$19.5MMerchandiseC$11.7MPrizeC$5.7M

Investment fraud accounted for about half of all reported losses (C$351 million of C$704 million, our calculation). Of the four largest categories by loss, all rose between 2024 and 2025:

The four largest fraud types by loss, 2024 vs 2025 (changes computed by us)
Fraud type2024 loss (C$ million)2025 loss (C$ million)Change
Investments310.6351+13.0%
Spear phishing67.367.9+0.9%
Romance58.463.3+8.4%
Job47.150.6+7.4%

The "fraud investigator" category (C$28.3 million) was previously called "bank investigator", so the 2024 and 2025 values for it are not strictly comparable. Our guides on bank impersonation scams in Canada and a fake bank investigator scam in Guelph look at that scam in detail.

The top 10 by number of reports

CAFC top 10 frauds by reports, 2025
Fraud typeReportsVictimsLoss
Identity fraud8,4038,403no dollar loss listed
Investments4,4093,867C$351 million
Service3,3932,444C$19.5 million
Personal information3,0162,109not listed
Phishing2,869467not listed
Extortion2,767835C$23 million
Merchandise2,5962,222C$11.7 million
Fraud investigator2,1671,137C$28.3 million
Job2,1481,726C$50.6 million
Relationship1,093933C$63.3 million

Identity fraud generated the most reports but no dollar loss figure, because most identity-fraud victims are not responsible for fraudulent charges. Romance is the opposite: the fewest reports of the ten, yet the third-highest loss. See Canadian identity theft statistics and dating and romance scam red flags. If you have been a victim, the CAFC is where to report, and our guide to how to report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre walks through it. For recent Canadian cases, see Canada scam news: October 2026 roundup.

How we compiled this data

Loss and report figures are from the CAFC's "Top 10 frauds in 2025" page (February 2026), its Fraud Prevention Month 2025 page for 2024 data, the CAFC 2021 and 2022 annual reports and Competition Bureau releases. Population is Statistics Canada's preliminary April 2026 estimate. Percentage changes and the per-resident figure are our arithmetic on those values.

The CAFC publishes 2025 reports only as "over 112,000" and the 2022 and 2023 report counts were not available to us in an official source we could confirm, so those cells are blank. The 2025 age, payment-method and contact-method tables were not published in a form we could verify, so we do not include them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did Canadians lose to fraud in 2025?

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre recorded more than C$704 million in reported losses from over 112,000 reports in 2025, up from over C$638 million in 2024.

What is the most costly scam in Canada?

Investment fraud, at C$351 million in reported losses in 2025, followed by spear phishing (C$67.9 million), romance (C$63.3 million) and job scams (C$50.6 million).

Is the real figure higher than C$704 million?

Almost certainly. The CAFC and the Competition Bureau say only 5 to 10 per cent of fraud is reported.

Where do I report fraud in Canada?

Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or by phone and to your local police. Contact your bank and credit bureaus too if money or identity details were taken.

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