Fraudsters will attempt to steal your personal information by sending emails pretending to be from your bank or another trusted organization. The emails might look real and encourage you to click malicious links, while requesting payment or promising a refund.

You might get a text or instant message out of the blue from what appears to be a reliable source. Fraudulent texts usually include links, asking you to send payment or to claim money, to trick you into providing your personal and financial details.

If you get a suspicious call claiming to be from a legitimate institution saying you owe money, chances are it’s a scam. In phone scams, fraudsters might pressure you into transferring funds, providing personal information and validating security details, like passwords or PINs.

Scammers contact you posing as your bank or an authority figure, like the police or government, claiming there’s an issue that needs your immediate attention. They may use threats and other intimidation tactics to get you to act fast and provide them with what they want.

Victims of romance scams believe they’re falling for someone real, and develop online relationships with fraudsters who prey on their emotions. Once trust is built in the relationship, the fake partner lies about problems they’re facing to get financial support.

Grandparents are often targeted in these scams where fraudsters impersonate a grandchild or another relative claiming there’s been an emergency. They’ll create a sense of urgency, pressuring you and ask you to wire funds, transfer money or send gift cards to help them out of trouble.

Think twice if you’re ever approached about an investment opportunity that sounds too good to be true. Scammers will try to sell you fake financial products by promising high returns quickly with minimal risk and use high-pressure tactics to convince you to invest.

This scam involves fraudsters asking you to send 'advanced fees' in exchange for a large sum of money. In some cases, fraudsters will pretend they sent you funds and that there was an overpayment that you need to return by cheque or through an electronic transfer.

Fraudsters pretend to be an online store and contact you about a purchase you never made. They claim to refund you but have refunded too much and need you to pay it back. They might tell you they’ll lose their job if you don’t pay it back or threaten you.

Don’t reply to any calls, emails or text messages asking for your log on credentials, account information and other personal details. Avoid clicking on links or attachments in the communication.

Be suspicious of any calls from someone you don’t know pressuring you for personal information or money. If you get a call claiming to be from HSBC, hang up (wait at least 15 seconds to ensure the line is disconnected), then call the number on the back of your HSBC credit or debit card.

Create a password/PIN only you would know and avoid reusing them for other accounts. Never write down passwords/PINs or share them, and remember to change them frequently.

Your device provides extra security by generating one-time passcodes you’ll need to enter every time you log on and make a transfer or payment. Never share these passcodes with anyone.

Keep an eye on your accounts and any suspicious transactions by logging on to online or mobile banking and reviewing your statements. Reach out to us if you don’t recognize a transaction.

Get notified about your bank accounts and credit card activity. Signing up for alerts can help you stay on top of your money and catch anything out-of-the-ordinary.

If you’re registered for mobile banking with us, make sure to set up Face/Fingerprint ID. Doing this makes it easier for you to log on and more difficult for anyone else to access your accounts through the HSBC Canada app.

Make sure your operating system, browser and security software are up-to-date. Using the most current versions protects you with the latest security features against malware and viruses.

Never enter your personal and bank details on suspicious websites, or download unknown files. Set your social media account settings to ‘private’ so fraudsters can’t view your information.

When in doubt, call someone you trust before you act. Reach out to a family member, friend, your local law enforcement or bank if you suspect you might be getting scammed.