Residents Warned to Beware of Very Convincing New Scam in Halton

Published October 11, 2018 at 12:58 pm

If you bank at a major institution, there’s a new scam you might want to be aware of–and one that you might want to tell friends and other loved ones about.

If you bank at a major institution, there’s a new scam you might want to be aware of–and one that you might want to tell friends and other loved ones about.

An inhalton.com reader recently received this fairly convincing email from a group or individual who purports to be from RBC.

In the email, the sender says that the user’s account has been “blocked” and their funds frozen. In order to “unfreeze” the funds, the recipient is prompted to click on a link and provide the sender with personal financial information.

If someone does this, they will fall victim to what is known as a “phishing” scam.

People — especially people who are not terribly familiar with internet culture — fall for these fairly frequently. These scams are particularly insidious because they often appear to be from legitimate companies and organizations.

To avoid an internet or phishing scam, delete any and all emails that seem like junk or spam (replying to “unsubscribe” only confirms that your email address is real).

Also, residents should note that legitimate banks and financial institutions will never ask for sensitive information via email.

If you have received an email like this from a sender who appears to be from RBC or another legitimate bank, report it to the financial institution and the Canadian anti-fraud centre.

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