Royal Bank of Canada ‘User Roles Have Been Updated’ Phishing Scam
The original site is no longer online; links go to the Internet Archive copy.
What the fact-checkers found
According to this email, which purports to be from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), your account user roles have been updated.
The email urges you to follow the instructions in an attached file.
However, the email is not from RBC and the claims that your user roles have been changed is untrue.
The message is a phishing scam designed to steal your RBC account login details.
If you open the attachment, a file will load in your default web browser. The browser then redirects to a phishing page that looks almost identical to the genuine RBC website.
The fake site prompts you to enter your RBC sign-in ID and password. After entering your login details and clicking the “Sign In” button, your browser will automatically redirect to the real RBC website.
Meanwhile, criminals can collect your login details and use them to hijack your RBC account. Once they have gained access they can transfer your funds and commit other fraudulent transactions.
Keep in mind that banks will never send you an unsolicited email that demands that you open an atatched file to supply information. It is always safests to login to your online accounts by entering the address into your browser or via an official app.
RBC has published information about recognizing and reporting phishing scams on its website.
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