Online fraudsters phishing for victims posing as the Autorite des marches financiers

MONTREAL -- The Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) is warning the public about online fraudsters who are trying to phish people by email using its name.

In a news release published Monday morning, the AMF said that hackers are sending emails using the domain name "@lautorite-support.finance".

It is a fake domain not related to the authority that uses the name: "@lautorite.qc.ca".

Mise en garde à l’égard des représentations frauduleuses faites par RBCmarkets sur leur site Internet. Ce site et la société EX 64, opérant aussi sous la dénomination RBCmarkets, ne sont aucunement liés à l’institution financière RBC Banque Royale. https://t.co/2plBJyrMA1 pic.twitter.com/mu6Wfk7F1r

— @lautorite (@lautorite) May 29, 2021

In order to lure potential victims, the fraudsters will ask for sums of money linked to a fake stock market transaction or cryptocurrency sale.

The AMF is urging the public to be very careful and not to click on any link or attachment in this type of unsolicited email. It also reminds people that its staff cannot claim or solicit personal bank transfers.

The authority recommends that people check whether a company or individual is registered with its registry before undertaking any financial transaction.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 31, 2021.