Hover but DON’T CLICK!
If you are unsure about a link hover your mouse over the link, but DON’T CLICK! If you see you will be linking to a different or unrecognized address, it is likely a scam.
Only click through to trusted web sites.
Make sure that the underlying link is from a source you recognize, such as your bank, your biller, Interac.ca or clik2pay.com. Never click through to a link you do not recognize.
Don’t open files or photos.
These could be downloading malware onto your device, never open a file from someone you don’t know or that you cannot verify as a legitimate company.
Unusual Email Addresses
If the email comes from a peculiar email address, not @gmail or @yahoo and with numbers rather than names at the start it probably isn’t legit.
That’s not my name!
“Dear clubpenguin457”, “Hi Dear”, “Dear Miss/Sir”, unless they use your name it is probably a scammer. Especially if they use the start of your email address.
Didn’t win the spelling bee…
Most large companies spell check their email templates. If there are a number of spelling mistakes or poor grammar the email is likely not from a legitimate business.
Don’t give away your money or personal information.
You SIN, Bank Account details or credit card information will almost never be requested via email from Banks or the Government.
Keep up to date with scams.
Many common scams are reported, checking the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website to see a current list of scams.
HTTPS: Look for a lock or an S.
Secure websites will have a lock next to the URL or begin with https not http. Check for this before you put information into any website.
For text messages, 11 is 1 too many
If you receive a text from a number with 11 digits requesting information it’s probably a scam.
