Report a Scam Text in Canada Without Opening Its Link

Matthew Leo · September 23, 2026 · Guides

A commuter uses a phone at a rainy Canadian bus stop.

A fake delivery notice, tax refund or bank warning can look convincing on a small screen. You do not need to open its link to report it.

Canadian mobile users can forward a suspicious SMS to 7726, which spells SPAM on a phone keypad. The service is free and does not count against your messaging or data allowance, according to the Government of Canada’s Get Cyber Safe program.

Do this before you report it

Do not tap the link, download an attachment or reply. A reply confirms that your number is active, and a link can send you to a fake sign-in page or a malicious download.

If the message claims to be from your bank, delivery company or a government department, open the organization’s official app or type its known website address yourself. You can also call a number printed on your card or statement. Do not use contact details in the suspicious message.

Forward it on Android

Open the conversation without touching any link in the message.
Press and hold the suspicious message until the action menu appears.
Choose Forward or the forward-arrow icon.
Start a new message addressed to 7726.
Send the forwarded message.

Menu names vary by phone and messaging app. In Google Messages, you can also press and hold a conversation, choose Block, then Report spam. Google says a report can share the sender’s number and recent message with Google and may also send a copy to your carrier. The sender is not told who reported it.

Forward it on iPhone

Open the conversation, taking care not to touch the link.
Press and hold the suspicious message.
Tap More.
Select the message and tap the forward arrow.
Address the new message to 7726 and send it.

Apple’s Messages app may also show Report Junk for some unknown senders. That reports the message to Apple and, depending on the message type and carrier, may share information with the carrier. Forwarding the original SMS to 7726 is the Canadian carrier-reporting route described by Get Cyber Safe.

What 7726 does

Forwarding the text gives your carrier information it can investigate and use to improve spam filtering. It is not the same as filing a police report, recovering money or proving that a sender committed fraud.

After forwarding, block the sender and delete the conversation. Keep a screenshot first if you lost money, entered information or need evidence for a report.

If you already clicked

What you do next depends on what happened:

You only opened a webpage: Close it. Do not download anything or accept notification requests. Update your phone and browser if an update is waiting.
You entered a password: Go directly to the real service, change the password and sign out other sessions. Change any other account that reused that password. Secure your email account first if it can reset the others.
You entered card or bank details: Contact the financial institution immediately using the number on the card or its official website.
You installed an app or configuration profile: Disconnect from sensitive accounts and get help from the phone maker or a trusted technician. Do not keep using the phone for banking until you understand what was installed.
You sent money or personal identification: Contact local police and file a report with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Reporting a text does not guarantee that similar messages will stop. Scammers change numbers and impersonate real organizations. Caller ID can also be spoofed, which is why Canada’s Do Not Call List cannot stop every fraudulent call, as Mapletechie explains in its guide to spoofed calls.

When the next urgent text arrives, leave the link alone, verify the claim through a separate channel and forward the message to 7726.

Sources

Tags: Smishing, Phishing, Text Messages, Scams, Mobile Security

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