Knowledge centre
Act immediately. Contact the financial institution that sent or received the money, your lawyer, relevant lender and local police. Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, preserve evidence and secure affected email, banking and identity accounts.
Be cautious when someone guarantees they can stop enforcement, asks you to transfer title, demands large upfront fees, discourages your own lawyer or rushes you into a sale-and-leaseback you do not understand. Get an independent mortgage and legal review before signing.
Because they change the borrower’s real down payment, debt load and ability to repay. A seller credit, private loan, family repayment agreement or borrowed closing cost must be disclosed and approved rather than kept outside the application.
The lender must understand whether the money is yours, borrowed, gifted or connected to a third party. Repeated transfers do not make funds stronger; they make the trail harder to verify and can delay or stop closing.
Verify payment instructions through a trusted phone number before sending money, especially when an email changes the account or creates urgency. Do not rely on replying to the same email because a criminal may control the conversation.
Title fraud occurs when stolen identity or forged documents are used to transfer or mortgage property without the true owner’s authority. Unexpected lender mail, land-registry notices, redirected mail, unfamiliar credit inquiries or someone asking for identity documents urgently deserve immediate investigation.
No. If repayment is expected, the funds are not a genuine non-repayable gift. Disclose the loan or shared-equity arrangement so the lender can include the obligation and decide whether it is acceptable.
No. Occupancy affects mortgage insurance, down payment, pricing, rental-income treatment and risk. State the intended use accurately. Plans can change later, but the representation made when applying must be honest and updated if circumstances change before closing.
A straw buyer allows their identity, credit or title to be used for a purchase that is controlled or funded by someone else whose role is hidden. The person signing can become legally responsible for the mortgage, taxes and losses even if they were promised they would never make a payment.
Do not proceed. Altered pay stubs, T4s, bank statements or tax records can lead to decline, cancellation before funding, lender enforcement after closing and possible criminal or regulatory consequences. A difficult income file needs a legitimate lender strategy, not invented evidence.