The OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre can help if you think you may be a victim of investment frauds and scams. You can also report potential unfair, improper or fraudulent practices to the Contact Centre. Find out more about the OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre.
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What is the OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre?
The OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre can help if you are a victim of investment fraud or if you have concerns about unfair, improper or fraudulent practices. Expert staff with the Inquiries and Contact Centre can help you:
- Check the registration of any person or business trying to sell you an investment or give you investment advice.
- Answer questions about an investment product or service.
- Answer questions about the history of an advisor, financial representative, or company.
- Find out if an investment opportunity is legitimate.
- Explain your rights as an investor in Ontario.
- Understand investing basics and how to protect yourself against investment fraud.
- Report a possible investment fraud or scam.
- Know what to do if you believe you are a victim of investment fraud.
- Find out what to do if you have complaints or concerns about a company, individual or an investment product or service.
The Contact Centre has staff who speak English and French. And they can access translators to help in over 200 other languages. The Contact Centre team handles about 15,000 inquiries and complaints each year from both investors and market participants (e.g., investment dealers and public companies).
The Contact Centre is part of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). The OSC is an independent Crown corporation that is responsible for regulating the capital markets in Ontario. Its mandate includes providing protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices.
How can you reach the OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre?
If you think you may be a victim of an investment fraud or scam in Ontario, or if you would like to report potential unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, contact the OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre. You can reach the Contact Centre by:
- Online Form
- Phone: 1-877-785-1555 (toll-free)
- Email: inquiries@osc.gov.on.ca
- Fax: 416-593-3693
- TTY: 1-866-827-1295
You can reach the Inquiries and Contact Centre from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST). It’s closed on statutory holidays. You may leave a voicemail after hours, and your call will be returned.
What information do you need to report a concern to the Contact Centre?
When you call the Contact Centre about a fraud, you will be asked to provide as many details as possible about what happened. This includes providing any names, contact information or any documents you may have about what happened.
What is the OSC’s Whistleblower Program?
The OSC’s Whistleblower Program offers protections for people who come forward with information about potential violations of Ontario securities law and Ontario commodity futures law. Examples of violations include:
- illegal insider trading
- tipping
- fraud
- misleading corporate disclosure or financial statements
- trading-related misconduct
Participation in the Whistleblower Program can lead to an award of up to $5 million for tips that contribute to successful enforcement action. The Whistleblower Program also has robust confidentiality protections in place for whistleblowers.
The Whistleblower Program is operated by the Office of the Whistleblower within the Enforcement Division of the OSC. The Office of the Whistleblower is separate from the OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre.
The Whistleblower Program encourages the submission of high-quality detailed information that is timely, specific and credible. The information must be of meaningful assistance in investigating potential violations. General allegations of investor losses, without more, will not usually meet the requirements of the Whistleblower Program but may be reported to the OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre. Learn more about the information required and who can submit it by visiting the Whistleblower Program award eligibility and process requirements.
To participate in the Whistleblower Program, you must complete the whistleblower submission form. Tips can be submitted online. For more information about the OSC’s Whistleblower Program, please call the confidential hotline at 1-888-OSC(672)-5553.
