Enable TD Fraud Alerts to stay one step ahead

You receive a call from someone claiming to be a government official, a bank employee, or a renowned organization.

Though caller ID may say the call is coming from your bank, scammers can use call spoofing technology to appear as anyone they like.

They link you to pending court cases, say your mobile number is being used in a crime, claim that Wi-Fi has been compromised, or make other urgent requests that require your immediate attention.

They ask you for your personal information, bank account details, and OTPs.

Keep in mind, TD will never ask to remote access your account.

They threaten to escalate matters to the police or someone of higher authority if you don’t cooperate.

Some may sound helpful and offer assistance to help you resolve the impending issues. But only if you cooperate by giving them what they need.

High-risk investments often offer higher potential returns, and lower-risk investments offer lower potential returns. When you buy investments like stocks, there’s no guarantee you’ll make money. You could even lose money if the stock price goes down.

Think about why they’re offering you a tip and how they benefit by telling you. If the hot tip is false, you may lose your money if you act on it. If it really is insider information about a public company, it may be illegal to act on it.

Scammers frequently use high-pressure tactics because they want to get your money and move on to another victim. Scammers also know that if you have time to check things out, you may not fall for the fraud.

In general, anyone selling securities or offering investment advice must be registered with a securities regulator in a province or territory.

Romance scammers will be quick to “fall in love” and profess their love. Their goal is to manipulate the victim emotionally as quickly as possible, before the victim realizes they’re being scammed. They may also propose marriage very quickly.

These scammers will often impersonate someone else and may only have one or two images of the person they’re impersonating.

They also may include images on their profiles that show only a portion of their face.

Common reasons romance scammers provide when they ask for money:

• Travel expenses
• Medical bills or other emergency expenses
• Get out of debt to start a “new life” with you

They will often create a sob story to manipulate their victims into sending money.

Romance scammers usually use fake profile images to hide their identity. They’ll continuously make promises to meet in person, even internationally.

However, they’ll have an “emergency” preventing them from travelling or meeting you.

You may receive a tempting offer for a job that comes with a high salary, but vague details. If you apply, you may find the "employer" asking you to pay fees or reveal sensitive details.

Scammers trying to access your information often request personal details, like proof of residence or financial statements, upfront.

Legitimate companies typically don't require this information until the interview or onboarding phase.

Since almost anyone can open and operate a social media account or website, scammers commonly create online platforms for made-up employers or fake channels for real companies. These channels typically have little-to-no information about the company.

A scam caller tends to call persistently, trying to pressure you into accepting what they're offering. Often, they’ll claim you may lose the opportunity to apply for a job if you don't immediately respond or agree to the terms.

The caller will claim to be in trouble and will request money right away. They may say they were in a car accident with a rental car or they were arrested and jailed in another city or country. The “grandchild” will ask the victim to not tell anyone.

A senior or family member will receive a phone call from the scammer impersonating a loved one in trouble.

The scammer will claim to be at risk or in an emergency. To make the story seem more credible, the caller might also put another person on the phone to act like a police officer, bail bondsman or lawyer.

The victim will wire money from their bank to the “grandchild”. It’ll be sent through a money transfer service (i.e., Western Union) where it can be picked up at any international location. The scammer may also arrange for a courier to get the money.

Scammer will call and pretend to be a bank employee from the fraud department. They’ll try to convince the victim to give them their banking information to gain access to the victim's accounts.

Fraudster provides their name and a phony employee number and tells the victim either that their accounts have been compromised, or that the bank is investigating a series of fraud cases that have been committed by staff at the individual’s branch.

The scammer asks the victim to help with a fictitious law enforcement investigation into a fraud case. Insisting on keeping it secret from branch staff and loved ones. They’ll often request your PIN, password or OTP (One-time password) as well.

Scammers may “deposit” money into their victim’s account but use cash advances from the victim’s credit cards. Then, they ask for the money to be sent back for investigation.

They may ask victims to buy gift cards and share the activation code.