Fraudsters are intercepting emails and impersonating trusted contacts - vendors, service providers, or even employees and colleagues - to send fraudulent requests to change payment details. These emails often look legitimate, using familiar names, logos, and language.
Unusual urgency or pressure to act immediately
Slight misspellings in email addresses (e.g., “gmai1.com” instead of "gmail.com")
Unexpected requests for money, account information or changes to payment details
Generic greetings like "Dear Customer" instead of your name
Grammar or spelling errors in otherwise professional communications
Real-World Example: You receive an email request similar to: "We've updated our banking information. Please use the new account details below for all future payments. This is effective immediately."
What should you do?
STOP - Do not reply to the email or send payment
Call using the trusted phone number you have on file (not one in the email)
Or text or message through a separate, verified channel
Confirm whether they genuinely changed their banking information
Verify the new account details independently before processing any payment
Never reply directly to the email. Fraudsters can control compromised email accounts and will confirm their own fraudulent requests.
Haven't sent money? Don’t respond. Delete the message. Contact the legitimate person or business through verified channels and report the scam to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Already sent money? Contact Kindred Credit Union at 1.888.672.6728 immediately, report the financial loss to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Time is critical.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: www.antifraudcentre.ca | 1.888.495.8501
Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: www.cyber.gc.ca
Ontario Provincial Police Fraud Prevention: www.opp.ca/fraud
Your financial security matters to us. If you receive a suspicious email, have questions about a payment request, or need guidance on verifying information, please reach out. We're here to help.