Secure the payment account
Contact the financial institution or wallet provider using its official channel. Explain whether credentials were exposed, a transfer was authorized under deception, or an unauthorized transaction appeared. Change compromised credentials and end remote access before continuing.
Preserve original evidence
Keep email headers, messages, full URLs, account and transaction IDs, bank references, wallet addresses, hashes, screenshots and terms. Record timezone and amounts. Never publish complete card numbers, passwords, one-time codes, seed phrases or identity documents.
Build one chronology
List first contact, registration, deposits, play, withdrawal, demands and payment outcomes in time order. Separate facts from assumptions. Link each claim to a file or reference so a reviewer can reproduce the sequence.
Report and resist second scams
Use the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and any appropriate local police or regulator route. Keep report numbers. Treat guaranteed-recovery offers and requests for upfront tracing, tax or legal fees as a new risk; no service can promise that funds will be returned.
Questions and answers
What should be done first after suspected payment fraud?
Contact the financial institution or wallet provider through its official channel and secure exposed credentials.
Should original messages be deleted after screenshots?
No. Preserve originals and metadata; work from copies when organizing the file.
Can a recovery service guarantee the money back?
No. Treat guaranteed recovery and fresh upfront-fee demands as warning signs.
Last reviewed: 5 August 2026