Beware of fake employee support scam

How it works

This is what happens: You get a call from a scammer posing as an employee of a financial institution. They claim there’s a new way to improve your banking services, you need to update your company information or fraudulent transactions are occurring in your account.

 

The risk to you

The scammer uses a variety of techniques to win your trust. They might offer to e-mail you a downloadable software and stay on the line to help. They might also tell you that they need your debit card number to stop fraudulent transactions on your account to cancel your card and order a new one, and that you’ll receive a text message as confirmation afterwards. In reality, these techniques will give the scammer access to your personal information (credentials and passwords) so they can carry out fraudulent transactions.

The scammer may persist and:

• Win your trust by telling you that they are calling from the same number as your financial institution;
• Tell you that other employees in your company should be doing the same update.

 

Good to know

Never provide confidential information over the phone. 

 

How can you protect yourself from this type of scam?

• Never let a stranger take control of your computer remotely.
• Never follow instructions from someone you don’t know.
• Never provide your personal information (debit or credit card number, AccèsD password, PIN, etc.).
• If in doubt, end the conversation and contact the company the employee claims to work for using a telephone number from a trusted external source (such as Canada 411).

 

What you can do if you are a victim of a scam like this

• Contact your financial institution or Desjardins Card Services right away at the number listed on the back of your debit or credit card.
• Report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.