Border Watch Toll-free Line

If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the Canada Border Services Agency Border Watch Toll-free Line at
1-888-502-9060.

The more detailed information you can provide, the better - but remember that no information, however trivial it may seem, is too small. Your help may be the missing piece of the puzzle that we are looking for. Reporting suspicions, even after the fact, can be an effective means of stopping future smuggling attempts.

Please never try to take the law into your own hands, or get involved in any illegal activities. If you have witnessed or are aware of an incident, for your own protection, please do not get involved or try to gather evidence. Just let us know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my call be confidential?

Yes. All calls are completely confidential.

Do I have to call during certain hours?

No. You can call at any time, any day of the week. The Canada Border Services Agency Border Watch Toll-free line (1-888-502-9060) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in both official languages.

Will my phone call be recorded?

No.

Will the information I give be shared with anyone else, like the police?

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) works in close partnership with law enforcement bodies, such as the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams, provincial and local police, as well as with other customs organizations around the world. If the information received is relevant to any of our partners, we may share it. However, the caller’s identity (even provided to us) will remain confidential.

What kind of information are you looking for?

As a guide, we are interested in the following information:

• Name of individual or company
• Date of birth or approximate age
• Location, date and time of suspected illegal activity
• Physical description of individual, including clothing worn
• Address, if known
• Phone numbers, if known
• Conveyance: car, boat, airplane or train
• Known associates
• Known business ties

However, you do not need to have all of the above information before calling the CBSA Border Watch Toll-free Line. We will accept and research any detail, even if it seems trivial.

Will callers get a reward for giving information?

At the discretion of the CBSA, a caller may receive a cash reward for providing information.

If you receive false information, could this lead to unnecessary searches or detentions when someone is crossing the border?

No. All information received will be thoroughly researched. If the information proves to be false, no action will be taken.

How is this toll-free line different from Crime Stoppers or the RCMP hotlines?

We deal specifically with suspicious cross-border activities that take place at the border. If the information received is relevant to any of our partners, such as the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams, police or the RCMP, we may share it.