Calgary Real Estate Fraud Response Checklist

Mark whether the concern is a suspicious request, attempted action, completed payment, signed document, exposed identity, compromised account, title or mortgage concern, false listing or rental, unauthorized access, or recovery solicitation. Record the first known time, most recent activity, and whether the incident is still active.

The stage controls urgency and responders. Keep the classification neutral until facts are verified; the planner is not a finding of fraud.

If money was sent or account information was exposed, contact the financial institution immediately through its official channel. Record the transaction reference, amount, time, destination, contact, case number, recall or hold request, and next instruction. Alert the transaction lawyer through a trusted route where a real estate agreement or trust payment is involved.

Do not send a second payment to correct the first or pay a recovery fee without independent verification and advice.

List affected email, banking, cloud storage, transaction portal, device, identification, credit, and phone accounts. From a trusted device, follow provider guidance for password changes, multi-factor authentication, sessions, forwarding rules, recovery contacts, and unauthorized transactions. Use unique credentials.

Record what was exposed without entering the actual secret. Ask the appropriate official service about credit or identity protections based on the exposure.

List offer, deposit, condition, amendment, closing, possession, tenancy, mortgage, payout, and registration deadlines. Contact the lawyer and responsible licensed professionals through verified routes. Ask what must be preserved, what notices or actions may be required, and whether a lawful extension or other protection is available.

Do not assume suspected fraud pauses a contract or registration process. Keep legal advice and formal notices in the proper secure channel.

Preserve original messages, email headers, documents, signing records, advertisements, URLs, profiles, caller information, voicemail, screenshots, device notices, bank records, transaction references, envelopes, and access logs. Record dates, time zone, observed action, person who observed it, and any response already taken.

Avoid editing files, deleting accounts, or confronting the suspected actor before responders advise, unless an immediate containment step is necessary. Store copies securely and restrict access.

For each bank, lawyer, brokerage, mortgage brokerage, insurer, landlord, property manager, platform, or participant, locate a trusted contact route from an earlier verified record, official registry, statement, or official site. Record how identity was verified and who confirmed the transaction facts.

Do not reuse phone numbers, links, or reply addresses supplied only in the suspicious communication. Verify changed instructions with two people where possible.

Match each exposure to the relevant responder: bank for funds and accounts; lawyer for contracts, title, trust money, and registration; organization and regulator for impersonation or licensed conduct; police for suspected crime or immediate safety; platform for false listings or accounts; and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for national reporting and prevention guidance.

Record case numbers, contacts, requested evidence, submission dates, and follow-up dates. A report to one organization may not notify the others.

Ask official providers or qualified advisors which alerts, flags, reports, title checks, account controls, mail protections, or identity steps fit the exposure. Record review dates and the exact accounts or records being monitored. Continue watching for new mortgage, credit, forwarding, password-reset, or property-related activity.

Avoid buying a generic monitoring product before understanding the incident. Monitoring does not replace containment, reporting, legal advice, or financial-institution action.

Treat unsolicited investigators, fund-recovery agents, crypto tracing, legal representatives, government impersonators, and guaranteed refunds as a separate verification problem. Check identity, licence or registration where applicable, organization, written scope, fee, privacy terms, conflicts, and authority to act through independent sources.

Do not grant remote device access, share authentication codes, move more money, or pay taxes or fees to release supposed recovered funds without qualified advice.

Group actions by urgency: immediate containment and responder contact; near-term evidence, legal, account, and reporting work; and continuing monitoring, document correction, insurance, credit, title, and recovery follow-up. Give every action an owner, verified contact route, deadline, status, and case reference.

Review the board whenever new exposure appears. Share only the minimum necessary information with each responder and never place secrets or identity documents in the general lead form.

Sources are starting points, not property-specific legal, tax, lending, insurance, valuation, safety, or transaction advice. Recheck publication dates, scope, and the facts that control your decision.