Make ThemPay.

Ontario Small Claims Court · claims up to $50,000

You sent the money. Nothing came back.

Money sent by e-transfer for goods or a rental that did not exist is a money claim against the person who received it. Small Claims Court hears such claims up to $50,000 (Courts of Justice Act s. 23; O. Reg. 626/00 s. 1). A claim needs the real name of the defendant and an address for service (rule 7.01(2)), so the first job is identification. A report to the police and to your bank is also important, but it is not a claim.

Check your claim, free Write the demand letter

What you have to show

  1. 1. The deal: the listing, the messages, and the promise made.
  2. 2. The payment: the e-transfer record, with the name and the email or phone of the recipient.
  3. 3. The loss: nothing arrived, or the rental did not exist, and your demand for a refund.

Documents that help

  • • Screenshots of the listing and the profile, with dates.
  • • The full message thread.
  • • The e-transfer confirmation with the details of the recipient.
  • • The police report number and the file number from the bank.
  • • Any address or identity details you found for the recipient.

The route

Report to your bank at once and ask what it can recover. Report to the police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre; keep the file numbers. If you can identify the recipient by full name and address, send a demand letter, then file a Plaintiff's Claim (Form 7A) and pay $108 (O. Reg. 332/16, as stored 2026-01-06). A judgment is useful only if the defendant can be found and has money, so use the free checker first.

Deadline. 2 years from the day you discovered the fraud (Limitations Act, 2002, s. 4 and s. 5).

From here to paid

DemandA letter with a date, free. A lawyer's letter on letterhead, $249.ClaimForm 7A filled from your answers, free. Filing Package $49. Filed for you $499.TrackService, defence, default, conference, trial: one dashboard, every deadline counted.CollectGarnishment and writs filled from the judgment. Or hand it off on contingency.

Questions people ask

Can I sue someone who scammed me by e-transfer?
Yes, if you can name them. A claim for money taken by a false promise is a money claim, and Small Claims Court hears it up to $50,000 (Courts of Justice Act s. 23; O. Reg. 626/00 s. 1). The claim must state the full name of the defendant and an address where you can serve them (rule 7.01(2); rule 8.02). Without a real identity, the court cannot help yet.
Can my bank reverse an e-transfer?
In most cases, no. Once the recipient deposits an e-transfer, the bank treats it like cash. Call your bank at once. It can sometimes stop a transfer that is not yet deposited, and it can record the fraud against the account of the recipient [VERIFY with your bank]. For a card payment, ask about a chargeback instead. Keep every reference number the bank gives you.
Do I report an e-transfer scam to the police or sue?
Both, if you can. A police report and a report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre can help investigators, and the bank often asks for the report number. A police report does not get your money back; it is not a claim. A civil claim in Small Claims Court is the route to a judgment for the money, and it needs a named defendant (rule 7.01(2)).
How do I find out who received my e-transfer?
Start with what you have: the name, email, or phone of the recipient from the e-transfer record, and the profile on the site. Ask your bank what it can tell you; privacy rules limit it. A court can order a bank or a platform to disclose a name in some cases, but that needs a motion with its own fee [VERIFY]. Get advice before you spend on it.
Is it worth suing a scammer in Small Claims Court?
Only if the defendant can be found and has money. A judgment is an order to pay, not a payment. Enforcement, such as garnishment (rule 20.08) or a writ (rule 20.06), needs a real person with wages, a bank account, or property. The claim fee is $108 (O. Reg. 332/16, as stored 2026-01-06). The free checker asks these questions before you file.

Other situations

Legal information, not legal advice. Rules cited are from the Rules of the Small Claims Court, O. Reg. 258/98, and the Limitations Act, 2002. Items marked [VERIFY] have not been checked against the current consolidation. Legal services provided by Mithril Law — Jonathan Kleiman, licensed Ontario lawyer.