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Education only · not financial, tax or legal adviceCanadian facts checked 2026-10-31 · a MITEY site
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Tool · Safety & custody

Scam red-flag checker

Tick what you have seen. Get a plain read on the risk and the Canadian places to report it.

Runs in your browser · nothing is sent
Mitey the yeti talking a plan through with an older yeti, with a warning sign
Mitey says: Pressure and secrecy are the scammer’s tools. Slow down and show someone you trust.

Tick anything you have seen. No ticks does not mean an offer is safe.

How this tool works

The flags come from patterns described by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and securities regulators: promised returns, urgency, requests to move to private chats, remote-access requests, fees to withdraw and requests for your recovery phrase.

Some flags are decisive on their own. Anyone asking for your recovery phrase or private key is attempting theft, whatever they claim to be. The checker treats those as critical.

Beware recovery scams

People who lost money are often contacted by fake recovery services or fake officials who promise to get funds back for a fee. Legitimate agencies do not charge you to recover crypto.

Limits

  • A low score does not mean an offer is legitimate.
  • Nothing you tick leaves your browser.
  • If money has already moved, go to report fraud now.

Questions people ask

How do I report a crypto scam in Canada?

Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and your local police, tell any platform involved, and, for investment offers, contact your provincial securities regulator. Keep transaction hashes, wallet addresses and messages.

Is a guaranteed crypto return a scam?

A guaranteed or unusually high, steady return is one of the most common signs of an investment scam. Real crypto returns are uncertain, and the CSA warns you could lose some or all of your funds.

Can someone help me recover stolen crypto for a fee?

Be very wary. Recovery-fee offers that follow a loss are a well-known second scam. Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and police instead.

Sources and dates

  • Investment scams — Canadian Anti-Fraud Centrereference
    No date shown on page · checked 2026-10-31. Warning signs of investment and crypto investment scams.
  • Report fraud and cybercrime — Canadian Anti-Fraud Centrereference
    No date shown on page · checked 2026-10-31. How Canadians report fraud and cybercrime, including crypto scams.
  • Investor tools — crypto assets — Canadian Securities Administratorsreference
    Page date 2025-10-22 · checked 2026-10-30. Crypto assets can be very volatile and risky; you could lose some or all of your funds.
  • Are they registered? (National Registration Search) — Canadian Securities Administratorsreference
    Page date 2026-01-13 · checked 2026-10-30. Check registration, disciplinary history and investor alerts.

Education only. Nothing on this page is financial, investment, tax or legal advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell, stake, lend or borrow any crypto-asset. Crypto-assets can lose some or all of their value and are not covered by CDIC. Canadian rules change: check the dated sources above and talk to a qualified professional about your situation. Full disclaimer.