By Matthew Daldalian
A new national online system now allows Canadians to report instances of fraud and cybercrime more easily.
This comes as a way to address mounting losses across the country and the under-reporting of such offences.
Launched by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and administered through its National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3) and the Canadian Anti‑Fraud Centre (CAFC), the system provides a centralized hub for citizens, businesses and organizations to file reports of fraud, scams, hacking or other cyber‐threats.
“Anyone can fall victim to fraud or cybercrime, whether as an individual or as part of a business or organization,” said RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, stressing the point that most Canadians now have a place to take their concerns.
Users can report anonymously and may submit screenshots, transaction records, text messages or emails related to a suspicious incident. “It allows us to receive that reporting and then try and take action on that at the national level,” said NC3 Director General Chris Lynam.
Once a report is submitted, Lynam said the national system works alongside local police forces.
In the meantime, his team gathers data to identify patterns, link related cases across jurisdictions and can alert tech platforms or international partners to disrupt fraud operations.
The timing is significant. According to the CAFC, Canadians lost more than $638 million to fraud in 2024 alone. In parallel, a federal cyber-threat assessment found that fraud and scams remain the most common form of cybercrime. Yet, only 5 to 10 per cent of incidents are reported, a shortfall attributed to victims’ fear, embarrassment or lack of awareness.
Industry and government sources welcome the portal but warn that reporting is only one piece of the puzzle. A recent audit by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada found serious deficiencies in Canada’s capacity to investigate cybercrime.
Lynham said the new system was designed in part to replace an older platform which required complex authentication that discouraged users. The new portal drops those barriers and is built to be more user-friendly, enabling faster reporting and national intelligence gathering.
While some large cyber-attacks make headlines, the vast majority of fraud occurs at the individual and small-business level. Statistics Canada found that 1 in 6 Canadian businesses experienced a cyber-security incident in 2023, with scams and fraud the most common method.
The portal serves both a practical and symbolic role: providing a clear channel for victims and creating a data-pool that law-enforcement can mine to track and disrupt networks of fraudsters.
Lynam said the system also supports prevention by issuing alerts when trends are identified.
“What we try to do is have a really good understanding of what the latest cyber-crime and fraud that are hitting Canadians are, and then we can pivot off that to […] create new prevention and awareness products,” he said.
Still, awareness remains critical. Lynam indicated that the site will be the focus of a public information campaign across social-media, policing networks and academic partners.
Users walking through the portal will encounter tips and prompts to help complete the report and understand next steps.
For Canadians who think they or someone they know might be targeted, Lynam recommends acting quickly: gather all relevant documentation, contact your bank, report to local police and submit the online form.
He added that early reporting may even enable recovery of transferred funds or interception of fraud operations before more victims are targeted.
