Would you spot this money scam?

An unexpected text uses your bank’s name and asks you to sign in through its link within ten minutes. What is the safest next step?

• Use the bank app or a contact method you already trust
• Tap quickly before the deadline
• Reply with your account number

Answer: Use the bank app or a contact method you already trust

Check independently through the bank’s app or verified contact details. An urgent text and a familiar name do not prove who sent it. Avoid the link in the unexpected message.

Someone claiming to investigate bank fraud asks you to read out the sign-in code that just arrived on your phone.

• Read it out if they know your name
• Do not share it; end the call and contact the bank independently
• Share only half of the code

Answer: Do not share it; end the call and contact the bank independently

A sign-in code can give someone access to your account. The Anti-Fraud Centre describes this exact impersonation tactic. Keep the code private and check with your bank using an independently verified number.

An unfamiliar lender promises approval without assessing you, then asks for an e-Transfer before sending any loan funds.

• Pay because the amount is small
• Send ID first to make it safer
• Stop and independently verify the company

Answer: Stop and independently verify the company

Guaranteed approval combined with an upfront release payment is a loan-fraud warning sign. Do not send the money or more personal details. Check the company through your provincial consumer protection agency or financial regulator.

The caller knows your name and says money must move to a “safe account” immediately. The number on screen looks familiar.

• Yes—the displayed number proves it
• No—end the call and verify independently
• Yes, if they can name your bank branch

Answer: No—end the call and verify independently

Caller ID can be spoofed, and personal details can be obtained elsewhere. A request to transfer money for “protection” is a warning sign. Contact your bank through a verified channel.

A polished email says a refund is waiting. Its link asks for your banking password. You were not expecting the message.

• Good design is not proof; verify the refund independently
• Yes—scams always contain spelling mistakes
• Yes—the logo is identical

Answer: Good design is not proof; verify the refund independently

Scam messages can copy an organization’s branding. Design and spelling cannot authenticate a request. Do not enter a banking password through an unexpected refund link.

You now suspect the caller was an impersonator. No loss is visible yet. What is the best immediate step?

• Wait until money disappears
• Ask the caller to delete the code
• Contact the bank immediately through a trusted channel

Answer: Contact the bank immediately through a trusted channel

Tell the bank what happened so it can help secure the account. Do not wait for a visible loss. Use verified contact details, preserve relevant messages, and follow the official fraud-reporting guidance.

A message from an unfamiliar number says your manager is in a meeting and needs you to buy gift cards and send the codes. What should you do first?

• Buy them before the meeting ends
• Verify with your manager through a known work channel
• Ask which brand of gift card

Answer: Verify with your manager through a known work channel

Verify the request using contact details you already trust. Impersonators use a boss’s name and a time-sensitive story to persuade people to send gift-card codes.

An unexpected email claims to be your landlord and tells you to send rent to a different payment address. The reason sounds plausible.

• Confirm through your landlord’s existing contact details
• Reply to the email for confirmation
• Use the new address because the name matches

Answer: Confirm through your landlord’s existing contact details

Confirm independently before changing payment instructions. The Anti-Fraud Centre describes landlord impersonation emails that redirect rent. A matching name does not authenticate new banking details.

A fictional text claims to be the CRA. It says: “Your refund is ready. Claim your e-Transfer using this link.” Which detail conflicts with CRA guidance?

• It mentions a refund
• It arrived during the day
• It offers a refund by text and e-Transfer

Answer: It offers a refund by text and e-Transfer

The CRA says it does not send refunds by text or e-Transfer. Check your tax information through an official channel rather than the message’s link.

A caller claims to be from the CRA and demands immediate payment in retail gift cards. What is the best response?

• Ask for a smaller payment
• End the call and verify through official CRA contacts
• Buy the cards but keep the receipt

Answer: End the call and verify through official CRA contacts

The CRA does not demand immediate payment by retail gift cards. End the conversation and verify independently instead of following the caller’s payment instructions.

Someone says, “The CRA never phones anyone, so ignore all calls.” Is that a reliable rule?

• No—the CRA may call; verify who is calling
• Yes—every phone call is a scam
• Only if the caller speaks quickly

Answer: No—the CRA may call; verify who is calling

The CRA may contact people by phone. Verify identity through official channels rather than assuming every call is real—or every call is fake.

A friend sends a message about “new free government money” with an unfamiliar sign-up link. What is the useful next step?

• Forward it to everyone first
• Enter your banking details to check
• Look up the program on an official government site

Answer: Look up the program on an official government site

Check the program independently on an official government website. A forwarded message can repeat a false claim even when the person sending it means well.