Phishing
"Phishing" is the act of sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be a legitimate, reputable company, such as a bank, the government or a well-known company, in an attempt to scam the user into disclosing private information.
CAUTION: Legitimate companies will not make such requests by email.
Signs of fraudulent email
- The message appears to be urgent
- Sometimes, it contains spelling or grammar errors
- You are asked to click on a link to provide or confirm personal information
- The link leads to a bogus website that is an exact imitation of a reputable company's website
- The email may not be personalized (no name or customer number)
- It does not come from an institution that should know your email (especially when emails are pretending to come from a banking institution)
Caution
A fraudster may:
- Take your personal information to steal from you or impersonate you
- Ask you to provide personal information using false reasons in order to defraud you out of money
- Install one or many malwares your computer in a direct or indirect way
How can you protect yourself?
- Don't respond to emails that ask for personal information
- Avoid clicking on links in emails
- Use a phishing filter, which identifies fraudulent websites
- When in doubt, directly contact the institution or company by phone
References
- Phishing – Stop Spam Here
- How to recognize a fraud – Phishing – The Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre
- Phishing – Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Phishing – Safe Canada
- Other websites about phishing
