Hacked or scammed? Here’s who can help.
Trusted government agencies, credit bureaus, account recovery links and security tools — grouped by the kind of help you need, plus copy-ready templates for the conversations that follow an incident. Canadian resources first.
Do these first
The first hour matters most. Work through these before anything else.
Stay calm and stop the bleeding
Don't pay, don't reply, and don't delete anything. If a device is acting strangely, disconnect it from Wi-Fi or unplug the network cable — but leave it powered on.
Call your bank first if money is involved
Use the number on the back of your card. The faster a transfer is flagged, the better the odds it can be stopped or reversed.
Change passwords from a clean device
Start with your email account — it's the key to resetting everything else. Use a unique password and turn on two-factor authentication.
Write it down and report it
Note dates, amounts, screenshots and usernames. Then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (or your country's equivalent) and your local police.
Resource library
Search or filter by region to find the right place to report, recover or protect yourself.
Canada resources
Report fraud & cybercrime
Canada's central agency for reporting fraud, scams and identity theft.
What you’ll need
The date, how the scammer contacted you, and any amounts lost or payment details.
Report cybercrime to the RCMP and find out how incidents are investigated.
What you’ll need
A short description of what happened, screenshots, and any suspect details.
Businesses and organisations can report cyber incidents and get federal guidance.
What you’ll need
Your organisation's details, a timeline of the incident, and affected systems.
Complain about — or report — a business that mishandled personal information.
What you’ll need
The organisation's name and what personal information was exposed.
Financial fraud & credit
Place a fraud alert on your file and check your credit report for free.
What you’ll need
Your SIN (optional), date of birth, and current address.
Add a fraud alert and review your TransUnion credit report.
What you’ll need
Your date of birth, current and previous addresses.
Know your rights and escalate complaints about banks and card issuers.
What you’ll need
Your bank's name, account details, and notes on the dispute so far.
Identity theft
Steps to take if your SIN has been lost, stolen or misused.
What you’ll need
Your SIN and government-issued photo ID.
Report tax-related identity theft or a compromised CRA My Account.
What you’ll need
Your SIN and a copy of your most recent notice of assessment.
Report a lost or stolen Canadian passport.
What you’ll need
Your passport number (if known) and other government ID.
Youth, sextortion & online exploitation
Canada's tipline for online sexual exploitation and sextortion. Don't pay — report.
What you’ll need
Usernames, screenshots and links. Do not delete the conversation.
Help for teens getting intimate images removed from the internet.
What you’ll need
Where the image was posted (links or platform names).
Free, confidential 24/7 support for young people by phone or text.
What you’ll need
Nothing — just reach out. Text CONNECT to 686868.
United States resources
Report fraud & cybercrime
Report scams, phishing and consumer fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.
What you’ll need
What happened, when, and any amounts or contact details involved.
Report internet crime — especially wire fraud and business email compromise.
What you’ll need
Transaction records, wire receipts and messages from the scammer.
Identity theft & credit
A personalised recovery plan with pre-filled letters and forms.
What you’ll need
Your SSN, address history, and details of the fraudulent activity.
Free credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
What you’ll need
Your SSN, date of birth and previous addresses.
Freeze your Equifax credit file at no cost.
What you’ll need
Your SSN, date of birth and current address.
Freeze your Experian credit file at no cost.
What you’ll need
Your SSN, date of birth and current address.
Freeze your TransUnion credit file at no cost.
What you’ll need
Your SSN, date of birth and current address.
Tax-related identity theft and Identity Protection PIN enrolment.
What you’ll need
Your SSN and a copy of your most recent tax return.
Global resources & tools
Infected device & ransomware
Free decryption tools for many ransomware strains, from Europol and partners.
What you’ll need
One encrypted sample file and the ransom note, if there is one.
A free second-opinion scanner to find and remove malware.
What you’ll need
Access to the affected computer (disconnect it from the network first).
Account recovery
Recover a hacked or locked Gmail / Google account.
What you’ll need
Your account email and access to your recovery phone or email.
Recover an Outlook, Hotmail, Xbox or personal Microsoft account.
What you’ll need
Your account email and as many past details (passwords, subjects) as you remember.
Reset your Apple Account password or start account recovery.
What you’ll need
Your Apple Account email and a trusted phone number or device.
Report and secure a compromised Facebook account.
What you’ll need
Your account email or phone; ID may be requested.
Recover access to a compromised Instagram account.
What you’ll need
Your username; a video selfie may be requested.
Prevention & security tools
See whether your email address has appeared in a known data breach.
What you’ll need
Just your email address.
Create a strong, unique password for every account you reset.
What you’ll need
Nothing — it runs right in your browser.
Check whether scammers can easily spoof your business email domain.
What you’ll need
Your business domain name.
A free, open-source password manager.
What you’ll need
An email address and a strong master password you won't forget.
A popular paid password manager for families and businesses.
What you’ll need
An email address, master password, and your Emergency Kit stored offline.
Plain-language tips for securing your devices, accounts and home network.
What you’ll need
Nothing — free guides and checklists.
A free, guided step-by-step recovery plan built by an Atlantic Canadian security veteran.
What you’ll need
A few minutes to answer questions about what happened.
Communication templates
Copy, fill in the [brackets], and send. Plain wording for the conversations that follow an incident.
Warn your friends — hacked social or email account
Post or send this once you're back in, or ask a friend to share it for you.
Heads up — my account was hacked. If you've had any odd messages, links, friend requests or requests for money or gift cards from me recently, please ignore them and don't click anything. I'm getting it sorted and will post again once it's secure. Thanks for your patience!
Dispute unauthorised charges with your bank
Send in writing after you've phoned your bank, and keep a copy.
To the Fraud / Disputes Department, I am writing to dispute unauthorised transactions on my account ending in [XXXX]. I did not make, approve, or benefit from the following: - [Date] — [Merchant / payee] — $[Amount] CAD - [Date] — [Merchant / payee] — $[Amount] CAD I first noticed these on [date] and reported them by phone on [date] (reference #[number], if provided). I have also reported the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (file #[number]). Please reverse these charges, issue a replacement card and account number, and confirm in writing that this dispute has been received and what the next steps are. Sincerely, [Full name] [Mailing address] [Phone] · [Email]
Tell your manager or IT provider
If a work account, laptop or phone might be involved — the sooner, the better.
Hi [Name], I want to flag a possible security incident. On [date] at about [time], I [clicked a link in a suspicious email / entered my password on a site that looked wrong / saw a login alert I didn't recognise / noticed unusual activity on my account]. So far I have [changed my password / disconnected the device from the network / done nothing yet]. The device involved is [laptop / phone / desktop — name or asset tag if known]. Please let me know what else I should do, and whether you'd like me to stop using the device until it's checked. Thanks, [Your name]
Notify customers — business email was compromised
For businesses: send from a known-safe channel if scammers may have emailed your clients.
Subject: Important security notice from [Business name] Dear valued customer, On [date], we discovered that an unauthorised person gained access to one of our email accounts. Some customers may have received messages that appeared to come from us but did not. Please be aware: - We will never change our banking or payment details by email. - If you received a request to update payment information or send money since [date], please do not act on it — call us directly at [phone number] to confirm. - Do not open unexpected attachments or links from our address sent during this period. The account has been secured and we are working with our IT provider to prevent this from happening again. We sincerely apologise for any concern this causes. If you have questions, please call [name] at [phone number]. Thank you, [Name] [Business name]
Emergency contacts
Keep these handy. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911 first.
Canada
Emergency (danger to life or safety)
911Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
1-888-495-8501Service Canada (SIN misuse)
1-800-206-7218Equifax Canada fraud alert
1-800-465-7166TransUnion Canada fraud alert
1-800-663-9980Office of the Privacy Commissioner
1-800-282-1376Kids Help Phone (24/7)
1-800-668-6868
United States
FTC Identity Theft Hotline
1-877-438-4338Equifax fraud alert
1-800-525-6285Experian fraud alert
1-888-397-3742TransUnion fraud alert
1-800-680-7289
United Kingdom
Action Fraud
0300 123 2040Report a scam email (NCSC)
[email protected]ICO (data breaches)
0303 123 1113
This page offers general guidance and links to independent organisations. Fundy Tech Solutions is not affiliated with these agencies or services. Phone numbers and links were checked at publication — always confirm on the official site.
How Fundy Tech can help
Need hands-on help right now?
If a business computer, email account or network has been compromised, our team can help contain it, clean it up and lock things down — then put 24/7 monitoring and backups in place so it doesn't happen again.