A mailed letter with RCMP letterhead accuses you of child exploitation and demands a fine within 24 hours — it is fake
A mailed letter with RCMP or NC3 letterhead accuses you of child exploitation and demands a 'fine' within 24 hours to avoid prosecution. RCMP never issue fines or resolve criminal charges by mail — this is a scam.
Also known as: fake RCMP letter scam Canada, fraudulent police letter extortion, NC3 impersonation letter, RCMP cybercrime letter scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Do not respond, do not pay, and do not provide any personal information — paying will not stop further demands and marks you as a paying target
- 2 The RCMP and police forces never issue fines by mail, never demand payment to avoid criminal charges, and never threaten to publicly expose you for money
- 3 Preserve the letter and envelope (including any return address) as evidence. Your local police detachment will want to see it
- 4 Report the letter to your local RCMP detachment or municipal police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
- 5 If you are distressed, contact a lawyer — any legitimate criminal matter will be handled through proper legal channels, not a letter demanding immediate payment
- 6 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.
Red flags
- ⚠ A physical letter claims to be from the RCMP, NC3, or another Canadian law enforcement body — check whether the address matches the official rcmp.ca website; scam letters use generic or non-existent addresses
- ⚠ The letter accuses you of a serious criminal offence but demands a 'fine' to make it go away — real criminal investigations involve courts, lawyers, and due process, never a mailed payment demand
- ⚠ You are given 24 hours or a very short deadline to pay or face prosecution and public exposure — urgency and shame are the pressure tools
- ⚠ The contact details in the letter (email, phone, mailing address) do not match the official RCMP website rcmp.ca
- ⚠ The letter threatens to publicly release your identity or send information to your employer or family — this is coercion, not law enforcement
- ⚠ Payment is requested via cryptocurrency, gift card, money order, or wire transfer — government agencies do not collect fines this way
Known variants
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Police uniform video call: suspect spoofs the RCMP detachment phone number, says you have a warrant, and directs you to a video call where they appear in a police-style uniform. Payment by gift card or Bitcoin demanded to 'clear' the matter. RCMP never conduct official business by video call or demand payment.
Last seen: 10/7/2026
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RCMP 'undelivered court documents' smishing variant: a text claims the RCMP could not deliver court documents and asks you to reschedule via a link to avoid missing your court date. The link leads to a fake RCMP site that harvests your SIN, DOB, and driver's licence. The RCMP never delivers court notices by SMS. Active Alberta and Nunavut September 2026.
Last seen: 9/28/2026
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Saskatchewan RCMP cybercrime-investigation email variant: an email claims to be from the RCMP and says you are currently under a cybercrime investigation — threatening arrest unless you contact a Gmail address immediately. Real RCMP communications never come from Gmail. Saskatchewan RCMP issued a public warning October 14, 2026.
Last seen: 10/18/2026
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Fake 'Vancouver Sheriff's Office' call: callers posing as a fictitious agency tell victims they missed a court appearance and demand cash to avoid arrest or contempt. Three reports to North Vancouver RCMP Oct 7–14 2026. No such body exists; BC Sheriff Services never calls individuals to demand payment.
Last seen: 10/18/2026
Sources
- West Shore RCMP — Fraudulent letter impersonating police (July 2026)
- CHEK News — West Shore RCMP warn of fake RCMP letter scam (July 2026)
- CTV News — Beware of fake letter impersonating police (July 2026)
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre — Extortion guidance
- RCMP / CAFC — Warning: Phishing scam impersonating RCMP via SMS court documents (2025-2026)
- West Kelowna RCMP — Warning: elaborate police impersonation video call scam (February 2026)
- Manitoba RCMP — Warning: phishing scam with video call impersonating police (February 2026)
- CAFC — Impersonation feature: fraudsters use CAFC name to commit bank investigator and recovery fraud (July 2026)
- London Police Service — CAFC impersonation fraud bulletin (July 2026)
- WebSearch synthesis — West Shore RCMP fake RCMP NC3 letter confirmed still active; Cyber Security Awareness Month October 2026 — law enforcement impersonation variant continues alongside mailed letter variant; victims pressured by shame and short deadlines
- RCMP Battlefords — Phone scam spoofing RCMP detachment numbers, demanding ATM cash withdrawals (March 2026)
- CTV News Saskatoon — Fraudsters impersonating Saskatchewan RCMP in email scam (October 14, 2026)
- VOCM / NTV — RCMP warning of telephone scam impersonating police officers; fraudsters spoofing NL RCMP detachment numbers to call Canadians nationwide (October 22, 2026)
- NTV Newfoundland — Fraudsters making scam calls across Canada claiming to be RCMP in Newfoundland; RCMP HQ St. John's confirms spoofed 709 numbers used nationwide; warning renewed (October 25, 2026)