How you can protect yourself

At Creative Arts Financial, your information security is our top priority. There are some ways you can help ensure even greater security when accessing online account services.

• Make sure your computer, tablet and smartphone are running up-to-date antivirus software.
• Avoid accessing your accounts online when using public Wi-Fi services.
• Use updated browsers and operating systems.

Be cautious with your information online

• Do not send personal information by email or instant messages. Once sent or shared, the information is no longer under your control and could be intercepted and stolen.
• Strictly limit any personal information you post on the web and restrict who can access it. Consider deleting old posts that include personal information.
• Unless you personally know and trust the sender, do not open files, download programs or click links in emails or instant messaging. Phishing scams often use these click bait techniques to steal and abuse identities and may even gain remote control of your computer.

Be smart about your passwords and your Personal Access Code (PAC)

• Use strong passphrases that are difficult to guess and include combinations of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
• Ensure your passwords are always unique and never reused on different sites or accounts. You may need to select a trustworthy password database to keep them secure.
• Keep your PAC confidential and do not share it with anyone.
• Never disclose your PAC in a voicemail or email, and do not disclose it over the phone.
• Ensure no one observes you typing in your PAC.
• When available, enable multi-factor authentication or two-step verification (2SV).

Be aware of phishing attempts

Phishing scams are common forms of identity theft. Criminals try to access your personal information by disguising themselves as a company or person you trust – like a financial institution. They copy logos, designs and details from actual emails, texts and websites.

Here are some red flags to be aware of:

• You don’t recognize the sender’s address.
• The email comes from a domain that looks suspicious – the format is unrecognizable or misspelled.
• You don’t have a relationship or past communication with the sender.
• The email is unexpected and unusual with a hyperlink and/or attachment.
• You received an urgent email at an unusual time.
• The email has bad spelling or grammar.

Creative Arts Financial will never ask you for confidential information or ask you to complete a task related to your accounts through a random email or text message. If you are not comfortable or suspicious about anything when it comes to your banking, please get in touch with us right away, and we can confirm the authenticity of the message in question.

For more resources on phishing, please visit the Government of Canada website.