Whenever you answer the phone and it’s someone you don’t know, take extra precaution.

Fraudsters are known to pose as representatives from government agencies, local police services, legitimate financial institutions, and other types of companies in an attempt to defraud customers.

The most common phone scams (also known as vishing scams) involve:

• People impersonating government agencies, such as Revenue Canada or local police services
• Get-rich quick schemes vague in nature with no apparent risk
• Fake charity solicitations asking for donations
• Prize winnings that require you to pay for shipping expenses

How to protect yourself:

• Hang up on suspicious calls immediately Never give out account or personal information over the phone
• If you aren’t sure about the organization or person calling, confirm their number online from the public resource and call back
• If you aren’t sure it’s really Scotiabank calling, hang up, and call 1-800-4-SCOTIA (1-800-472-6842) and report it to us; for a list of ways to connect with Scotiabank, please visit Contact Us
• If you believe the fraudster poses a risk to your personal safety, call your local police

Visit our Cybersecurity & Fraud Hub to learn how to recognize phone fraud.