Step 1 — read the format
The shape of the number narrows down what kind of caller you are dealing with before you know anything else.
- A geographic area code such as 416, 514, 604 or 902: a mobile, landline or business in that region — though the caller need not be sitting there, because local numbers are the most commonly spoofed.
- An overlay code on the same city (647, 438, 778, 587): identical in meaning to the older code beside it, just newer stock, so it is common on freshly issued dialler numbers.
- 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888: toll free, leased by banks, insurers and agencies — and therefore heavily imitated.
- 900: premium rate, charged to your phone bill. Never call one back to 'sort out' anything.
- 600 or 622: Canada-wide non-geographic ranges used by satellite and VoIP services, tied to no province.
Step 2 — read the reports
Automated diallers call in bulk, so by the time a number reaches you, others have usually already met it. Look for volume and consistency rather than a single angry comment: ten reports describing the same script is strong evidence, and one report describing a rude courier is not.
Recency matters too. Numbers get recycled between businesses, so reports from years ago describe a different tenant than reports from last week.
Step 3 — discount what cannot be verified
Caller ID is supplied by the calling network, not verified by your phone, so a number that matches a bank's published line proves nothing. A professional-sounding voice, hold music, a reference number and a 'call centre' background are all trivially staged. Knowing your name and suburb proves nothing either — that information is in circulation.
Step 4 — verify out of band, always
The rule that makes the previous three steps safe: whenever a caller wants money, credentials, a code or access to a device, end the call and contact the organisation on a number you found yourself. A genuine caller loses nothing by you calling back. A scammer loses everything.
Where to report it in Canada
Reporting a call twice — once officially, once publicly — is what stops the next person answering it.
- the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at antifraudcentre.ca collects scam reports and publishes national trends.
- The Canadian Cyber Security Centre at cyber.gc.ca handles cybercrime reports, including phishing links sent by SMS.
- Your bank's fraud line, immediately, if any account, card or code was discussed.
- The number's page on NumberCheck, so the next Canadian who searches it sees your experience straight away.