Is it really a debt collector?
In Canada, collection agencies are licensed by the province you live in. Before paying a caller who says you owe a debt, ask for the agency's name and check it with your province's regulator. Each guide below links to the official licence search, your rights and where to complain.
- British ColumbiaConsumer Protection BC
- AlbertaService Alberta and Red Tape Reduction (Consumer Programs Branch)
- SaskatchewanFinancial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA), Consumer Protection Division
- ManitobaConsumer Protection Office (Manitoba)
- OntarioMinistry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement (Consumer Protection Ontario)
- QuebecOffice de la protection du consommateur (OPC)
- New BrunswickFinancial and Consumer Services Commission (FCNB), Consumer Affairs
- Nova ScotiaService Nova Scotia (Department of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services)
- Newfoundland and LabradorConsumer and Financial Services Division, Digital Government and Service NL (Government Services)
Prince Edward Island: see the province's licensed collection agencies and collectors page. The territories: consumer affairs offices.
Anywhere in Canada
- Collection agencies are regulated by the province or territory you live in. If your creditor sold your debt to a collection agency, complain to your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office. source
- If a federally regulated bank's own collection department (or an agency it hired) is collecting, complain to the bank first; the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada's rules apply to them. source
From official provincial and federal sources, checked Oct 16, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Got a call? Look up the number.