How to Protect Your Accounts

How to Protect Yourself from “Phishing” and Email Scams
How to Protect your Debit Card and Pin

How to Protect Yourself from “Phishing” and Email Scams

You may have experienced or read about recent incidents of unsolicited email messages masquerading as legitimate companies that trick recipients into divulging personal and financial information.

These “phishing” (also called "brand spoofing") emails send you to web sites pretending to be legitimate companies that ask for your personal and financial information.

At no time do members of BMO Financial Group request personal or financial information by sending out unsolicited emails. You should never send personal identification numbers or other personal confidential information by email as it is not a secure method of contact. Never reply or click on a link inside an e-mail asking you to connect to and/or verify your account.

How the Scams Work

A common email scam uses unsolicited email to deceive consumers into disclosing confidential personal information. The deceptive email suggests clicking on a link or attachment for any one of the following reasons:

• Change / update to personal information
• Privacy or security breaches
• Contests
• Possible suspension of client cards or accounts
• Application for products

After clicking on an attachment or link from the unsolicited email, the user is taken to a bogus site that requests confidential personal information, which could include:

• Bank Card Numbers/User ID's
• Account Numbers
• Personal Identification Numbers (PINs)
• Credit Card Numbers
• Social Insurance Numbers
• Other Personal or Private Information
• Passwords

How to Identify the Scam

There are some commonalities that can help you identify the scams:

• These types of scams are most commonly sent as unsolicited emails.
• Many phishing emails begin with a general greeting, such as “Dear Client.” If your first and last names are not displayed, be suspicious and do not click on any links or buttons.
• Messages may imply a sense of urgency or immediate risk to bank accounts or credit cards if you fail to answer. For example, they may state that an unauthorized transaction has recently occurred on your account, or claim that BMO Financial Group is updating its records/services and requires information immediately to ensure continued access to your holdings.
• Phishing emails often contain misspellings, incorrect grammar, or missing words.
• They contain attachments or links to fraudulent sites that are designed to mimic the look and feel of a genuine site.
• The web address of the site will often have the @ symbol or a numeric address (e.g. 123.456.1.2). The address may also include the word, phrase or text “bmo” to make it appear authentic.

How to Help Protect Yourself

It is important to understand that there are ways in which you can help protect yourself from email fraud and web sites that request your personal or banking information:

• If you receive an email claiming to be from a member of BMO Financial Group that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the email. Remember, members of BMO Financial Group never request personal or financial information in unsolicited emails. To ensure that the email is legitimate, contact us immediately:

Please send copies of any unsolicited emails claiming to have been sent to you by BMO Financial Group to online.fraud@bmo.com.

Some additional precautions include:

• Always enter your BMO Financial Group web site using a bookmark, or a URL obtained from a BMO Financial Group advertisement, brochure, or member.
• Review your financial statements regularly for unauthorized or suspicious transactions.
• Never send personal and/or financial information via unsecured email.
• Do not trust email sender or subject information as it can be easily forged.

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How to Protect your Debit Card and PIN

Canadians use debit cards millions of times a day at banking machines and point-of-sale terminals to access their accounts and make purchases.

About Debit Card Usage:

• Debit card use is an extremely safe banking process - debit card fraud affects only a small percentage of accounts.
• BMO Financial Group has sophisticated security systems and fraud teams in place to protect your accounts.
• In the unlikely event that debit card fraud does occur, in circumstances beyond your control, your accounts will be reimbursed.

Taking steps to protect your debit card and PIN will help reduce your own risk of being a victim of fraud.

Here Are Some Tips to Help Protect Your Debit Card and PIN:

1. Change your PIN often to protect your financial information. You can now change the PIN on your BMO FirstBank^® Card and Mosaik^® MasterCard^®* at any BMO ABM, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
2. Use your hand or body to shield your PIN when you are conducting transactions at an Automated Banking Machine (ABM) or at a point-of-sale terminal.
3. Never let your banking card out of your sight when conducting a transaction at a point-of-sale terminal. Always remember to take your banking card and transaction record with you once your transaction is completed.
4. Regularly check your statements and balances to verify all transactions have been properly documented. If entries do not accurately reflect transaction activities, for example, if there are missing or additional transactions, you should contact your BMO Bank of Montreal branch immediately.
5. If your banking card is lost, stolen or retained by an ABM, notify your BMO Bank of Montreal branch immediately.
6. Your banking card and PIN are the keys to your account(s). Never disclose your PIN to anyone … not even us. You are the only person who should know it.
7. Memorize your PIN - it's your electronic signature. If you suspect that someone knows your PIN, change it immediately or contact your BMO Bank of Montreal branch to cancel the card.
8. When selecting your PIN, never use obvious information such as your telephone number, date of birth, address or social insurance number.

For further information, you can also visit the following sites:

Canadian Bankers Association
Interac®* Association

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