Scammers using bread price-fixing settlement in hunt for new victims

Scammers are sending phishing texts attempting to leverage a $500 million bread price-fixing settlement by asking for personal details such as name, address, date of birth, and credit or debit card information, says the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre .

Toronto police have also warned that unsolicited texts about the settlement should be deleted. The messages try to lure people to fake settlement claim sites by pretending to be about the payout.

The CAFC told CBC News it has received nine reports about the phishing scam since March 1.

The price-fixing settlement goes back to 2024 when Loblaws settled a class-action lawsuit for packaged bread purchased for personal use between 2001 and 2021. Any eligible Canadian resident could claim compensation from the settlement reached with Loblaw Companies Ltd., and parent company George Weston Ltd.

However, the official claims process closed on December 12, 2025, so no new claims can be submitted, according to Canadian Packaged Bread Class Actions Settlement  website .

Meanwhile, the site is cautioning the public against phishing scams connected to the settlement: “Please be aware that we DO NOT send text messages requesting personal information or payment information. If you receive any such message claiming to be from Verita, do not respond or click on any links. Instead, please contact us directly through our official channels.”

Official communications from Verita, the company handling disbursement of the settlement funds, are sent to claimants’ email addresses, as they were originally registered on one of the two sites connected with the settlement: CanadianBreadSettlement.ca (for non-Quebec residents) or QuebecBreadSettlement.ca (for Quebec residents).

Verita will be distributing compensation for approved claims when the claim processing is complete. Claimants could receive between $50 to $100.

“We expect payments to begin being sent in April 2026. Your patience is appreciated,” says the settlement site. Payment will be made by e-transfer or cheque (if requested when the claim was filed).

To report bread settlement phishing scams, the CAFC says recipients should forward suspicious text messages to 7726 (SPAM) to alert your telecom provider and help block them nationwide.

Then a full report to the CAFC should be submitted. Tips for reporting fraud are on the CAFC website. Providing details such as the message text, sender-number and any linked sites is encouraged.

Anonymous reports are welcome, too.

National Post has reached out to the CAFC for more details on the phishing scam but has yet to receive a response.

For information about the bread price-fixing claims process the public can call a toll-free number 1-833-419-4821 Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm EST.

• Scammers used fake profile on dating app to get $250K from victims: Toronto police
• Ontario couple gives up more than $1M to online scammers despite bank warning

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.