Ontario Securities Commission warns investors about rising fake regulator impersonation and fake registration schemes

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) published an investor alert warning that fraudsters are impersonating regulators, including the OSC, to make unlicensed trading platforms and related scams appear legitimate. The OSC stressed that it does not contact individuals to recover funds or promote investment opportunities. The alert describes schemes using fabricated licensing numbers and fake regulatory credentials, sometimes paired with misuse of OSC branding. The OSC also flagged emails impersonating OSC staff that promise to recover funds or protect “dormant” or potentially compromised digital assets, often seeking upfront payments to “validate ownership” or for purported tax purposes and using non-OSC email addresses and a non-existent “Blockchain Forensics & Asset Recovery Division”. The OSC reiterated it will never ask investors to send money, promote investment opportunities or fund-recovery services, or make unsolicited calls, emails, or texts requesting payments tied to enforcement actions or investigations, and advised investors to verify suspicious communications via the official OSC website and to check the registration status of anyone offering investments or advice.