How to Report Spam Calls in Canada: DNCL, CAFC, Carriers
In Canada, where you report a spam call depends on what it was. Unwanted sales calls go to the National Do Not Call List at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca or 1-866-580-3625. Scam and fraud calls go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. Spam texts go to 7726, and your carrier's tools can label or block many calls.
Telemarketing calls: the National Do Not Call List
The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) is overseen by the CRTC and covers legitimate telemarketers. Registering your phone or fax number is free:
- Online at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca
- By phone at 1-866-580-DNCL (1-866-580-3625)
- By TTY at 1-888-362-5889
Your number is added immediately, but telemarketers have 31 days to update their lists, so some calls may continue during that time. The same website and phone number take complaints. You will need the telemarketer’s name or number, the date of the call, what happened and your contact details. The CRTC can impose penalties of up to $1,500 per violation for individuals and up to $15,000 per violation for corporations.
Does registering on the Do Not Call List expire?
No. The National DNCL says that once you register your number, it stays on the list permanently and there is no need to re-register. Advice to re-register every few years does not apply to the current list. You can check your registration or remove your number at any time on lnnte-dncl.gc.ca.
The list has a limit that matters: scammers ignore it. They are already breaking the law, so a DNCL complaint about a fake bank or CRA call will not reach anyone useful. Those calls belong with the Anti-Fraud Centre.
Scam and fraud calls: the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) collects reports of fraud and scams for the whole country, in English and French. You can report through its online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. It does not accept fraud reports by email. If you lost money, also tell your local police and your bank.
The CAFC estimates that only 5 to 10% of fraud is reported to it, so every report fills a gap. Reports help it link cases, warn the public about new scripts and support investigations.
Should I report a scam call if I did not lose any money?
Yes. The CAFC asks people to report fraud attempts even when they did not fall for them, because those reports show which scams are active and how they are delivered. Include the number shown, the date and time, the name the caller used and what they asked for. It takes a few minutes and helps protect the next person.
Your carrier’s tools
All three large carriers now offer free tools for unwanted calls, though they work differently:
| Carrier | Tool | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Bell Mobility | Suspicious Call Detection | Labels calls “Likely Fraud” or “Possible Spam” and blocks some high-risk calls; on automatically |
| Rogers and Fido | Spam Call Detect | Labels calls “Likely Spam” or “Likely Fraud” on plans with Call Display and Name Display; does not block |
| TELUS | Call Control | Asks unknown callers to press a digit before your phone rings; TELUS says this stops most autodialed calls |
Bell says Suspicious Call Detection is included in all Bell Mobility plans and cannot be turned off. Rogers says Spam Call Detect has no way to report numbers it missed. TELUS lets you keep up to 25 numbers on an accepted list and 25 on a blocked list, and you can turn Call Control on by dialling *99 or through your online account. For texts, forward the message to 7726.
Reporting on TrustOrNah
Every number page on TrustOrNah has a one-tap report form with eight categories, from “Scam or fraud” and “Robocall” to “Legitimate business” and “Not sure”, plus an optional comment. No account is needed. Reports are limited per day and tied to a salted hash of the reporter’s IP address, not the address itself. A number page only appears in search results once it has a report or a regulator complaint, so your report is what makes it findable for the next person who searches that number.
To report, look the number up on the phone lookup and use the form under the results. The lookup also shows reports others have already filed, which our guide to whether a number is a scam explains how to read.
Be realistic about what reporting achieves. A DNCL complaint can lead to CRTC investigations and penalties against telemarketers. A CAFC report feeds national warnings and investigations. Carrier reports help block senders. None of them gets your money back on its own, which is why calling your bank quickly matters more than any form.
What to do now
- Register your numbers at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca to cut down legal telemarketing calls.
- Report scam calls, even failed ones, to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
- Check that your carrier’s spam labelling or Call Control is active on your line.
- Report the number on TrustOrNah so the next person who looks it up sees what it was.