TORONTO, March 2, 2017 /CNW/ - Technology has made lives easier, connecting people and businesses in an unprecedented ways. But with the steady pace of advancement and change comes the heightened risk of fraud, particularly digital and online fraud. Words like "phishing" and "smishing" that did not exist a decade ago have entered our everyday lexicon.
"The reality is that cyber-crime has become an increasingly problematic issue, not only for the financial services sector, but for other industries in Canada and around the globe," said Adam Evans, vice-president risk management at RBC. "It takes a combined effort between organizations and consumers to prevent fraudsters and cyber scammers from getting their hands on your private information."
According to the Canadian Banking Association, 72 per cent of Canadians use online and mobile banking as their primary means of banking, up from 52 per cent in 2012. It's clear that Canadians are accepting of new and convenient banking and payment technologies but it's important they know how to stay safe when using these tools.
"Empowering our clients and the public to protect themselves is one of the best lines of defense," added Evans. "As Canada's largest bank we believe we have a responsibility to help educate the public on common cyber, fraud and privacy scams."
Canadians can do their part to stay safe
Watch the RBC Be Cyber Smart video series; a collection of cyber awareness tips for individuals, families, youth and RBC clients:
- Choose powerful passwords. Use multiple passwords, change them frequently and use ones that include a mix of letters and numbers: all essential components of online safety.
- Don't respond to unsolicited requests for confidential information. Be aware of schemes that ask for personal or financial information – they could be pretexting.
- Beware of the phish. Do not click on a link in an email, call a phone number, wire money or take any requested action, unless you first verify that a request is legitimate.
- Be cautious when sharing on social media. Be careful about including personal information online, on social networking sites and in email.
- Be wary of public Wi-Fi. Avoid using public Wi-Fi to online bank, online shop or access any confidential information.
- Keep your personal information private. Laptop and phone screens can easily be seen and your side of a phone conversation can be heard by everyone around you.
RBC is a proud participant in Fraud Prevention and Cyber Awareness months and aims to build awareness among clients and employees year-round. Read more tips and watch the Be Cyber Smart video series anytime on RBC's Privacy & Security website.
Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We have over 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 35 other countries. For more information, please visit http://www.rbc.com/.
RBC helps communities prosper, supporting a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. For more information please see: http://www.rbc.com/community-sustainability/.
For further information: Cheryl Brean, firstname.lastname@example.org, RBC, 416-974-0263