OSC Warns Investors About Fake Registration Schemes

Ontario Securities Commission News

Published March 19th, 2026

Detected March 20th, 2026

Summary

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has issued a warning to investors about an increase in fraudsters impersonating regulators and using fake credentials to operate fraudulent trading platforms. The OSC emphasizes that it does not contact individuals to recover funds or promote investments, and advises investors to verify any suspicious communications directly with the OSC.

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What changed

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) is alerting the public to a rise in sophisticated scams where fraudsters create fake trading platforms, often misusing OSC branding and fabricating licensing numbers to appear legitimate. These schemes aim to pressure individuals into sending money, sometimes by promising to recover funds lost in previous scams. The OSC explicitly states it will never contact individuals to solicit funds, promote investments, or offer recovery services, and warns against unsolicited communications, even those that appear to be from OSC staff or use OSC branding.

Compliance officers should ensure that internal training and investor communications reflect the OSC's warnings. Employees should be advised to be vigilant against impersonation tactics and to verify any unsolicited contact claiming to be from the OSC through official channels, not through contact information provided in the suspicious communication. The OSC urges investors to always check the registration of individuals or businesses before investing and to contact the OSC directly if they receive suspicious communications. Failure to heed these warnings could lead to further financial losses for investors.

What to do next

Review internal investor communication protocols for potential impersonation risks.
Educate staff and investors on red flags associated with fake registration schemes and recovery scams.
Verify any unsolicited contact claiming to be from the OSC through official channels before taking action.

Source document (simplified)

OSC warns investors about rising fake registration schemes

OSC Investor Alert Enforcement

March 19, 2026

For Immediate Release

TORONTO – The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) is warning the public about fraudsters who use fake regulators or impersonate actual regulators to offer a false sense of legitimacy to their scheme.

Fraudsters create trading platforms that appear legitimate, using fake credentials and fabricated licensing numbers that link to fictitious Canadian or international regulators. Some of these platforms may even misuse OSC branding to convince investors that they are registered, when they are unlicensed and have no affiliation with the OSC.

“These scams are built on false claims and attempt to imitate the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) in order to pressure people into sending money. We want investors to know that the OSC does not contact individuals to recover funds or promote investment opportunities,” said Bonnie Lysyk, Executive Vice President, Enforcement at the OSC. "If you receive an unsolicited message that claims to be from us, please check with the OSC before taking any action.”

The OSC is also aware of emails impersonating OSC staff as part of a scheme that promises to recover investor funds lost due to these fraudulent activities. The emails indicate that the OSC is contacting the individual in order to protect and recover dormant or potentially compromised digital assets. The email will often ask for payment, either to validate ownership or for tax purposes.

However, the emails come from non-OSC email addresses such as [email protected] ”, which are unaffiliated with the OSC. They may also include the name of the non-existent “Blockchain Forensics & Asset Recovery Division” as well as using fake OSC email signatures.

These are fraudulent schemes designed to pressure victims into sending additional funds. Fraudsters often target people who have already been victimized by a previous scheme and claim they can recover the money for a fee. They may also ask for personal information to undertake this work.

The OSC urges Ontarians to be vigilant with unsolicited information, including documentation that contains OSC branding or claims to be from OSC staff.

Investors are reminded that the OSC will never:

Ask investors to send money anywhere at any time.
Promote any kind of investment opportunity or company.
Promote companies or entities offering to recover funds that have been scammed.
Make unsolicited phone calls or send unsolicited emails or text messages to investors asking for payments related to enforcement actions or investigations. Anyone who receives a communication claiming to be from the OSC that they find suspicious should contact the OSC directly to verify whether the message is genuine. Investors should not reply to the suspicious communication directly or rely on contact information included in the communication. Instead, they should refer to the official OSC Website.

Investors should always to check the registration of any person or business trying to sell them an investment or give them investment advice. For more information about investor protection visit GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca and to stay on top of the latest investor news, warnings and more sign up for the OSC’s popular e-newsletter, Investor News and follow us on social media.

The mandate of the OSC is to provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, to foster fair, efficient and competitive capital markets and confidence in the capital markets, to foster capital formation, and to contribute to the stability of the financial system and the reduction of systemic risk. Investors are urged to check the registration of any persons or company offering an investment opportunity and to review the OSC investor materials available at www.osc.ca.

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