Precautions urged amid surge in sophisticated financial scams

Financial scams on the rise

Photo: The Canadian Press

Canada’s largest bank is urging vigilance amid a rise in financial scams.

Royal Bank of Canada regional director of communications in B.C. Jim Payn told Castanet financial scams are becoming increasingly common and more sophisticated.

“While fraudsters often target seniors, it is important for everyone to remain vigilant and take steps to safeguard personal information,” he said.

He said prevalent types of scams include phishing, generic scams through email or text, spear phishing, emails or texts that look legitimate, and vishing, which refers to targeted phone or voicemail scams.

Other common schemes include bank impersonation scams, fraudulent package delivery notices, card pick-up scams and impersonating a family member in distress.

Payn said people should not provide any personal or confidential information to anyone who calls you, including online banking passwords, answers to security questions, one-time passcodes or credit card information.

He said people should also change their passwords regularly.

“Lastly, if you’ve fallen victim to a scam, and/or have provided confidential information to someone, contact your financial institution immediately to secure your accounts,” he said.

RBC publishes current scam alerts on its website.