Bank and government impersonation scams are among the most common phone frauds in Canada. The caller may claim to be from your bank’s fraud department, the CRA, or Service Canada. The tone is urgent, official, and frightening. That is deliberate.
Phone remains the dominant channel for scams targeting older Canadians. Criminals know that a live voice, especially one that sounds authoritative, bypasses the pause you might take with a suspicious email.
What your bank will never do
| Your real bank | Scammers often say |
|---|---|
| Will never ask for your PIN, password, or one-time verification code | “Read me the code we just texted you” |
| Will never ask you to move money to a “safe account” | “We need to transfer your balance to protect it” |
| Will never demand payment in gift cards, crypto, or wire to a stranger | “Buy Google Play cards and read us the numbers” |
| Will not threaten arrest or deportation | “The RCMP is on the way unless you pay now” |
| Is fine with you hanging up and calling back on the number on your card | “Stay on the line. Do not tell anyone.” |
The three-second pause
When any unexpected call involves money, passwords, or secrecy, pause. Breathe. Say: “I will call the bank back myself.” Hang up. Use the number on the back of your debit or credit card, not a number the caller gives you.
That pause breaks the urgency loop every scammer depends on. It costs nothing. It works more often than people expect.
CRA and government variants
The Canada Revenue Agency does not demand immediate payment by gift card, Bitcoin, or prepaid credit cards. It does not threaten to send police to your home within the hour. If you owe taxes, CRA contacts you in writing first, through your secure CRA account or registered mail.
If you already gave information or money
Call your bank’s fraud line from the number on your card right now. Change passwords. Report to the CAFC at 1-888-495-8501. See our full recovery guide: After a scam: what to do.
Sources: CAFC 2024 Annual Statistical Report; Canada Revenue Agency fraud awareness guidance; Safeguard Senior elder-fraud-canada-report (May 2026).