Service
Regulatory Complaint Support
When a bank, payment institution, or other regulated firm played a part in what happened — by processing a disputed payment, missing warning signs, or mishandling your complaint — you may have the right to escalate to an ombudsman service or financial regulator. These bodies expect a clear timeline, organised evidence, and a complaint that addresses the questions they actually decide on.
We help you prepare that submission. That means identifying which body has jurisdiction, checking eligibility rules and deadlines, structuring your account of events, and assembling the supporting documents. We do not represent you legally, and we cannot influence the outcome — a well-prepared complaint simply ensures your case is considered on its full merits.
What you receive
- An analysis of which ombudsman service or regulator is the appropriate body for your complaint
- A review of eligibility conditions and time limits that apply to your situation
- A structured complaint draft setting out the timeline, the firm's role, and the grounds you are raising
- An organised evidence bundle referenced to each point in the complaint
- Plain-language guidance on how to submit the complaint yourself and what to expect from the process
Who it is for
- People whose bank or payment provider rejected a fraud dispute and who have exhausted the firm's internal complaint process
- Victims who believe a regulated firm missed clear warning signs before or during the fraudulent payments
- Individuals who find ombudsman forms and eligibility rules difficult to navigate on their own
- Anyone who wants their complaint presented clearly and completely before the deadline passes
Process
How this service works
Free initial assessment
We review your case at no cost to establish whether a regulated firm was involved, whether a complaint route plausibly exists, and whether our support would add value. If it would not, we say so.
Scope and written quote
If a complaint route exists and you want our help, we set out exactly what we will prepare and quote a fixed fee in writing. We never charge a percentage of any amount you might recover.
Preparation of the complaint
We build the timeline, draft the complaint around the criteria the body assesses, and organise your evidence so each claim is supported by a specific document.
Handover and submission guidance
You receive the complete complaint pack with step-by-step submission instructions. You submit it in your own name, and all correspondence and decisions come directly to you.
Honest limitations
- Ombudsman services and regulators decide cases independently; no preparation service can guarantee, predict, or influence their outcome.
- Preparing complaints and documentation through the ChargeBack service is not, in itself, legal representation; where your matter needs regulated legal advice it is provided by Mayfairs Law Limited (the SRA-regulated firm behind ChargeBack) or an independent lawyer of your choice.
- Complaint routes only exist where a regulated firm was involved and eligibility rules are met; losses paid directly to a fraudster with no regulated firm at fault may have no regulatory route at all.
In Canada
Where to report and complain in Canada
The official routes for someone who lives in Canada. Report quickly, and keep the file numbers you are given — every one of these bodies works from the evidence you hold.
Your local police
Report the fraud to your local police service — or to the RCMP where it polices your area — and ask for a file or occurrence number. Banks and exchanges often ask for it, and it belongs at the front of your evidence.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre as well, online or by telephone on 1-888-495-8501. The CAFC asks for reports even from people who have already gone to the police, and from witnesses as well as victims, because it is how patterns across Canada are found.
Your bank or card issuer — straight away
Use the number on the back of your card or on your bank's own website, never one given to you by the person or site involved. Ask the bank to stop further payments and to try to recall or dispute the money, and make a formal complaint. Note the date you complained: it starts the clock for the next step.
If your bank says no: OBSI
The Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments is the free, independent complaints body that every federally regulated bank in Canada must belong to. You can take your complaint to OBSI once 56 days have passed since you first complained to the bank, or sooner if the bank has already given you its final response. Once you have that final response in writing, you have 180 calendar days. Credit unions and caisses populaires are regulated by their province and have their own routes — ask yours which applies.
Investment, trading, and crypto platforms
Check whether a firm or a crypto trading platform is registered with Canadian securities regulators using the National Registration Search, and report one that is not — or that took your money — to your provincial or territorial securities regulator. Unregistered platforms may lack the protections registered ones must offer. OBSI also handles complaints about many registered investment firms.
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
FCAC supervises how federally regulated banks meet their consumer protection obligations, including how they handle complaints. It does not decide individual disputes or order refunds, but you can tell it if you believe your bank has not followed those obligations.
General information from each body's published guidance, not advice on Canadian law. Confirm deadlines with the body concerned.
FAQ
Questions about regulatory complaint support
Related services
Start here
Start with a free, confidential consultation.
Tell us what happened. We will review the information and explain whether our services are relevant — and, if you choose to proceed, exactly what any investigation would involve and cost.