I am suspicious – what should I do?
The good news is you are suspicious and therefore taking a moment to think about what is happening. It is always better to be cautious and think about the situation through a logical lens. This helps by changing the next steps from being an emotional response to be a logical and analyzed response.
So now that your suspicion has been heightened and you think there may be an attempted fraud, here are some tips.
Suspicious phone calls
- Never share PINs or passwords. No company will ask you for a password so this should be a red flag
- Be wary of unsolicited offers. You don’t need to react immediately - call the company back on the number published on their website or statements you receive.
- Be very cautious if the fraudster is asking you to act quickly or keep the conversation secret. The fraudster wants you to make an emotional response and react to the situation and by not talking to anyone you don’t have the opportunity to get a second opinion. No reputable company will put pressure on you to act quickly on a promotion.
Suspicious emails
- If you do not know the sender of an email do not open or respond to it. It is not an urgent requirement to respond so look very carefully at the address and the links. Assume it is a phishing attempt until you can validate.
- Never click on links asking you to verify your information – this can likely be done by calling the company
- Avoid clicking on “sign in” or “register” links in suspicious emails, as fraudsters can gain access to your password
Door to door sales people
- Fraudsters often create a sense of urgency for you to take action. A legitimate transaction will never pressure you into a purchasing decision or revealing personal information
- Be realistic; if it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.
- Be careful sharing personal info – the more you share to more vulnerable you become. If this is a company you regularly deal with they should have all of the information they need already.
Bell’s commitment
Bell is committed to fraud prevention and has developed a comprehensive program to support fraud prevention. This program includes
- A dedicated team of fraud specialists that focuses on prevention, detection and remediation to rapidly address fraudulent activity
- Access and login controls with multiple protection layers to validate customers and ensure your account is only accessed by you
- Proactive measures to examine transactions, identify suspicious account activities and engage customers to inform them and work towards a solution
- Reporting methods that allows customers to easily report potentially fraudulent activity, allowing Bell to quickly investigate
- Active collaboration with governments, law enforcement, businesses, the public and relevant interest groups to share latest fraud information and evolve antifraud strategies and programs
When Bell interacts with customers, we will never:
- Request personal information, such as passwords, PIN numbers, banking or credit card information (unless we are responding to an initial telephone inquiry made by the customer);
- Include links to virus removal tools. Instead we will direct you to support.bell.ca/Internet; and
- Include attachments like executable (.exe), password protected zip, or ISO files.
What to do if you suspect fraud
If you feel that you have been the victim of a fraud or scam there are some important steps that you can take.
- If you receive any suspicious email that appears to be from Bell by forwarding to phish@bell.ca
then delete the email - If you receive any suspicious SMS or MMS messages forward them to 7726 (SPAM) then delete the text.
- If you are victim of a ransom threat, contact your local police.
- If you have been a victim of identity theft, Telemarketing, Email or Internet Fraud; contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or call them at 1 888 495-8501
- If you notice unsolicited requests, transactions not requested by you or are being locked out of your account for no apparent reason, please contact Bell Mobility Loss Prevention at 1 800 509-9904 immediately.
- Educate your friends and family on your experience – it may help them be more aware
To learn more about fraud and how you can prevent it we encourage you to read our other articles for more in depth information.
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