Fraud prevention

Monitor your account regularly for any suspicious activity.

Signs of suspicious activity may include, but are not limited to:

• Unusual transactions: Transactions that you do not recognize, because of the recipient, transaction date, amount, etc.
• Suspicious connections to your account: Actions carried out on your account without your consent.
• Unexpected changes to your settings: Changes that you have not authorized, such as changes to your email address, phone number, or security settings.

If you spot any suspicious activity or unauthorized transactions, take the following steps immediately:

• Screenshot everything: Take a screenshot of potential suspicious activity to serve as evidence.
• Report it to National Bank: Contact us as soon as possible, every day from 6 a.m. to midnight (ET), at 514-394-5555 or 1-888-835-6281.
• Provide as much detail as you can, including the screenshot, date and time of the incident, and any other relevant details.
• Change your sign in information: If you suspect that your sign in information (e.g., password) was compromised, change it immediately.

Email and text message scams

Did you receive a text message or email prompting you to click on a link? Carefully review the sender’s information before clicking on anything, and remember to not provide any personal information.

National Bank will never use this method to request confidential information such as your password.

If you received such a message but didn’t click on the link, ignore and delete it. If you’re a National Bank client and clicked on the link or provided your personal information, please contact us immediately at 1-888-835-6281 to secure your account.

Our advisors are at your service 7 days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight (ET).

If you receive a message that claims to be from National Bank, but appears fraudulent, don't click on any links. Instead, immediately forward the message to telnat.securite@bnc.ca.

False representative scam (impersonation over the phone)

When you receive a call from National Bank, we'll never ask you for any information that we already have.

Here are a few tips to follow if you receive a call from National Bank that seems suspicious (speaking quickly, persistent demands, etc.):

• Don't respond to the request if it is unexpected or unsolicited. Don't give out personal information or validation codes during the call.
• If the person tells you they work at National Bank, don't pursue the matter. Contact us directly instead.
• Never give your debit or credit card, or PIN to a person claiming to work for National Bank who comes to your home to pick up a defective or compromised card.

Always ask yourself questions about what you are being asked to do. Does it make sense? Is it routine? When in doubt, call a representative before acting. You'll then be in a better position to analyze the situation.

Impersonation fraud involves the fraudster attempting to steal your personal information, such as usernames and passwords. This tactic is often carried out by phishing on a website or application.

You’ll then receive an email, call, or text message from someone pretending to be a National Bank or other large company employee. This person could tell you that suspicious activity has occurred on your account and that, for verification purposes, they need to know the unique validation code your bank sent you when you signed in to your account. Also note that if you are put on hold for a long time during the call, it may be because they are actively trying to access your account.

If you have any doubts, don't hesitate to call our advisors, who are available every day from 6 a.m. to midnight (ET), at 514-394-5555 or 1-888-835-6281.

Phishing attempts are common, and it's important to learn how to detect them. First, National Bank will never ask you for your password, unique validation code, or other personal information by email. We'll also never ask you to connect to your online bank via a link or file included in an email.

Phishing emails often contain one or more of these elements:

• They imitate the communications of a trustworthy business.
• They contain spelling, grammatical, and typographical mistakes.
• They have clickable links or attachments.
• The address to reply to them is completely different from that of the sender.

If you receive an unsolicited email from National Bank that looks like a phishing attempt, please forward it to telnat.securite@bnc.ca or call us at 514-394-5555 or 1-888-835-6281.

The Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) publishes a monthly newsletter on fraud prevention, including its latest tips. To subscribe to this newsletter, go to the CBA website, scroll to the bottom of the home page, and click Choose a newsletter. Select Consumer Fraud Prevention Tips in the drop-down menu and enter your email address.

You can also visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website for more information about fraud and identity theft.

Visit our Fraud prevention section for practical tips and tools.

*Subject to the terms and conditions of the deposit account contract and the digital and mobile services contract.

^® Securizone is a registered trademark of National Bank of Canada used by NBC Assistance inc.

^® NATIONAL BANK and the NATIONAL BANK logo are registered trademarks of National Bank of Canada.

^® MASTERCARD is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. National Bank is an authorized user.  

^TM Cybereco is a trademark of CYBERECO 10849553 Canada.

^® SecurID is a registered trademark of RSA Security Inc. Authorized user: National Bank of Canada.