Fraud Prevention

• Identity theft
• E-mail fraud (phishing)

Identity theft

Incidents of identity theft and fraud continue to rise. To protect yourself, please proceed with caution when divulging personal or financial information to any third party.

If you receive a letter requesting payment of funds or personal information, please confirm the sender is a legitimate organization and the information requested is for legitimate purpose.

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E-mail fraud (phishing)

• What is phishing?
• How does phishing work?
• What do phishers do with information?
• What should I look for in a valid message from CIBC Mellon?
• How can you verify an e-mail?
• What you can do

What is phishing?

"Phishing" or "brand spoofing" is the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be a legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into disclosing private information. Government, financial institutions and online auctions/pay services are common targets of brand spoofing.”

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How does phishing work?

Phishing e-mails are often sent out as spam to numerous recipients and appear to come from legitimate businesses, sometimes even duplicating legitimate logos and text. Within the message, you may be requested to click on a link that takes you to a fraudulent site or pop up window where you are asked to submit personal and financial information. Messages may imply a sense of urgency or immediate risk to bank accounts or credit cards if you fail to answer, increasing the chances of a response. Special offers and prizes may also be promoted as incentives.

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What do phishers do with information?

Phishers can access your accounts using your passwords and other information to wire funds, withdraw money or make purchases. Personal information can also be used by phishers to open new bank or credit card accounts in someone else’s name.

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What should I look for in a valid message from CIBC Mellon?

CIBC Mellon will never request that you log on to our systems through a link provided within an email directly. Website access should be provided by typing www.cibcmellon.com directly into your browser window.

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How can you verify an e-mail?

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What you can do

There are lots of sources on the internet to help you look up and gain a better understanding of phishing.  Some recommended links include:

• RCMP - Phishing or brand spoofing 
• Microsoft - Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent e-mails

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