www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday August 2, 2006 - 5 Police warn of e-mail `phishing' scam By Dennis Smith SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Another `phishing' season is underway and e-mail users are being warned not to get hooked. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) says phishing involves emails where fraud artists pretend to represent banks and request private information, which thieves then use to access accounts. An e-mail received recently by The Oakville Beaver informed the recipient their Royal Bank account had a problem and requested that any password changes be reported. The e-mail included the bank's logo. RBC Royal Bank's director of media and public relations advises customers never to share their online banking password or any personal identification. "RBC employees are never authorized to ask those questions," said Beja Rodeck. In the e-mail cited above, the link for verifying account activity has since been closed. Rodeck said the bank works with enforcement agencies to shut down phishing links once they are detected. However, phishing expeditions are unpredictable and can't be prevented, she said. "All banks get these e-mails and many organizations face this type of problem. Basically, these things have been around for a couple of years," said Rodeck. "We're doing a lot of work to educate customers about fraudulent e-mails. We have information in our branches." She said if a client's information is compromised through no fault of their own, they will be reimbursed for losses. Rodeck agreed customers can go directly to their bank branches if they're notified of problems or asked to provide information. RBC Royal Bank has a fraud line for customer inquiries at 1-800-769-2555. A Halton Regional Police official said those sending phony e-mails are very good at copying company logos and making their requests seem legitimate. "We've seen this before and then an alert to the public goes out," said Detective Sergeant Joe Barker. "Afterwards when the dust seems to settle and we've alerted the public, they come back." Barker recalls previous phishing attempts aimed at bank accounts of RBC Royal Bank and CIBC customers. "The Internet has opened up a world of fraud," said Barker. "People need to act extremely cautiously when dealing with anything over the Internet." Barker advises against doing business over the Internet or the phone when it involves personal accounts. Requests by mail should also be double-checked, said the sergeant. "Before you give information to anyone, confirm they are legitimate," he said. "I'm constantly amazed at people who turn over information without second guessing it." Barker said when informed of a problem with their account, customers should handle it in person. "Go into the branch and speak to the manager in the bank," said Barker. "Don't meet anyone in parking lots or restaurants." He added customers should call or visit their local bank branch instead of phoning the number on the letterhead of correspondence sent to them. Barker said mass e-mails can be sent, even to non-customers of the banks, in hopes a few consumers will be tricked. He said he's not sure where the latest phishing scam originated because they are usually bounced through three or four locations. Barker said phishing scams are investigated by the OPP and RCMP, because they have the international resources they can use. The FCAC is also warning of a similar scam called vishing (short for voice phishing) that mimic eBay or PayPal and direct targets to a false customer support phone number or they call consumers directly and inform them of account `problems'. LAST CALL! CONTINUES... SAVE UP TO on selected SPRING & SUMMER merchandise JULY 31-AUGUST 6 Entire In-Store Stock! BUTTERICK PATTERNS - ONLY 2.99 ea. While quantities last. Not valid with any other discounts. Sale on now, on selected seasonal merchandise, while quantities last. Look for the red sale tags. Sale goods sold as-is. All sales final. Full details in-store. CORRECTION NOTICE Panasonic 9" Widescreen Portable DVD Player 10071953. This product is advertised for $299.99 after a $100 savings on p. 22 of our July 28th flyer. In fact, it is $349.99 after a $50 savings. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our valued customers. FABRICLAND'S FALL 2006 PREVIEW STARTS MONDAY, AUGUST 7TH. WE ARE OPEN HOLIDAY MONDAY, WHERE PERMITTED BY LAW. CORRECTION NOTICE Whirlpool Stainless Smooth-Top Self-Clean Range 10077152. On pg. 2 of our July 28th insert, we advertise this product as a convection range. In fact, it is not. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our valued customers. Insertion Date: Wednesday, August 2/06 (or other) OPEN SUNDAYS 12-5 Insertion Size: 4 x 115 (or other) Please set all address info in this space, 140 Rebecca space allows. Proof to Store Manager. big & bold as St. OAKVILLE 844-7728