Staying Safe Online in Canada
A Newcomer’s Guide
Learn how to stay safe online, spot common scams, and protect your personal information as a newcomer to Canada.
The Catalyst developed these resources in partnership with Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) and Rogers to keep newcomers safe online
Why online safety matters
The internet connects people to communities, information, and essential services that support people in Canada. From staying in touch with loved ones, accessing government and business services, researching jobs, or staying connected to international apps, it’s a powerful tool for newcomers. But it can also be misused.
Unfortunately, cybercriminals can use the internet to steal personal information, harass, or deceive others. That’s why understanding online safety is so important.
This guide offers newcomers to Canada practical advice to help you:
Learn how online threats can affect your safety and personal information.
Spot warning signs of scams, fraud, and suspicious messages.
Keep your data secure by sharing only with trusted sources.
If you suspect fraud, report it, change passwords, and seek help quickly to limit harm.
Understanding the risks
Personal information is valuable — not just to individuals, but to cybercriminals who may try to steal it and use it to commit fraud. That’s why protecting personal data is an important part of staying safe online.
What are your online risks?
Whenever someone connects to the internet — especially when communicating with people they don’t know — there is a risk of encountering scams or deception. Cybercriminals often pretend to be family members, government officials, or trusted professionals in order to gain trust.
Common online tactics used by cybercriminals include:
- Scams and frauds
- Extortion (blackmail)
- Cyberbullying or online harassment
- Exploitation involving children or adults
What cybercriminals are after:
To steal money or sensitive personal information, such as:
- Name, birthdate, address, email, or phone number
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- Bank and credit card information
- Health and employment records
How to recognize & verify online risks
What might be unsafe
Recognizing suspicious online activity is an important first step in protecting personal information. Cybercriminals often try to gain trust by pretending to be family members, government workers, or representatives from legitimate organizations.
To help you identify suspicious activity, you can learn to recognize red flags, such as:
- Receiving unexpected emails, texts, social media messages, or calls
- Messages from senders you don’t know or weren’t expecting
- Requests for personal or sensitive information
- Someone using fear, pressure, threats, or urgent language to get you to do something
- An offer or promise that seems too good to be true
- Requests to click on suspicious links or download attachments
What might be safe (with verification)
Even if a message or call appears legitimate, it’s important to pause and verify before responding. Here are safe steps to take when unsure:
- Don’t reply or call back directly: If you respond using contact information in the suspicious message, you may be contacting a criminal
- Search online for the official organization: Use a search engine to find the organization’s real website and contact them using details from their site
- Check the URL carefully: Secure websites usually begin with https:// and often require login credentials. If a site asks for personal information without these, it could be fake
- Be cautious even with messages from friends or family: Criminals may impersonate trusted people. To confirm someone’s identity, use a “secret word” that only you and your real friends or family would know
Examples of common online activities
Below are examples of situations you may face. For each one, here’s what to watch out for:
Employment or Education
- Make sure you’re speaking with a real representative by checking the organization’s website or official phone number
- They will never ask for your personal info by text, email, phone call, or social media
- Always verify calls or emails by searching official contact info online
Banking and Finances
- Only use your bank’s official website or app
- Never share your PIN, security codes or personal info over the phone, unless you called them
- Banks will never ask for account info by text or email
- If you are unsure about a call you have received, contact your bank by using the phone number on your debit or credit card
Government
- Government usually contacts you by mail
- Most official websites end in
.canada.caor.ontario.ca, but some — like city or municipal websites — may use different web addresses - They will never ask for your personal info by text, email, phone call, or social media
- Always verify calls or emails by searching official contact info online. Some government agencies like the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have pages dedicated to verifying whether or not they called you
Immigration Consultants and Lawyers
- They must follow privacy laws and protect your information
- Use trusted sources like Settlement.org to choose a legitimate advisor
- Verify if an immigration consultant or lawyer is licensed by checking the official Government of Canada website: canada.ca/immigration-fraud
How can you be safer online?
Here are some actions you can take to protect yourself:
- Use strong passwords or passphrases
- Enable multi-factor authentication (a secondary device, code, or biometric). This adds an extra layer of protection by asking for a second form of ID, like a code sent to your phone, after entering your password
- Review your social media privacy settings
- Sign up with your bank to receive fraud alerts about suspicious activity
- Secure your home Wi-Fi by changing the default password to a strong password
- Turn off Bluetooth when not in use, especially in public places
- If you need to use public Wi-Fi, do so through a virtual private network (VPN) to keep your data private
- Set strong passwords, passcodes, passphrases, or personal identification numbers (PINs) on all your devices
Install and use credible security software on all devices
- Keep software up-to-date and delete unused applications and software
- Keep physical control of your devices and avoid sharing them with people you don’t know
- Back up your critical data and software
- Share only limited personal information online
- Be cautious with friend or follow requests from people you don’t know
- Double-check information before believing or sharing it
- Use official sources when researching important topics like immigration, jobs, or government services
For more tips and guidance, visit GetCyberSafe.ca — Canada’s public awareness campaign to help you stay safe online.
Take action
What to do if you think you've been impacted
If you think you’ve been scammed or tricked, take these steps right away:
1
Contact your bank
Ask them to monitor or freeze your accounts if needed
2
Change your passwords
Update all your accounts and enable multi-factor authentication
3
Contact law enforcement for serious incidents
For significant threats, crimes, or losses, police may be able to investigate and, in some cases, help recover what was taken
4
Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
This organization collects information on fraud and identity theft. Visit antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca to make a report
5
Learn from the experience
Regularly check your privacy settings, limit what you share, and keep up with online safety tips
Stay aware, stay safe
By staying alert, asking questions, and following safe online habits, you can protect yourself and your loved ones.
