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Fraud focus

Fraud focus

New scams are emerging and fraudsters are evolving the tactics they use to deceive individuals. Being mindful of security practices and common attacks is the best way to keep your family, business and personal information secure.

Deepfakes are artificial intelligence (AI) generated media which has been swapped or digitally altered to imitate individuals or recreate events that never occurred.

Learn more about the most commonly-used deepfake scams

Audio deepfakes

Audio deepfakes are realistic AI voice impersonations of individuals that make fictional claims appear legitimate. Fraudsters can use this technology to spread misinformation or conduct targeted phishing campaigns.

What to look out for

Avoid calls from unknown numbers and only disclose information when you can confidently verify the caller.

Limit your responses, as fraudsters can clone your voice with only a few seconds of audio.

Beware of any suspiciously urgent request for sensitive information or money.

If you cannot verify the callers, ask questions to confirm their identity and intention.

Hang up and verify the caller through trusted means such as a website or contact number.

What to know about your transactions with Fidelity Canada

You will never be asked to disclose sensitive information like your credentials, passwords or credit card information.

You will never be asked to wire or transfer money through unapproved channels.

All transaction requests will include written confirmation of completion that will direct you to log in to your account for details.

Video and image deepfakes

Video and image deepfakes are fake photos and videos of individuals in which faces and voices have been digitally manipulated using AI technology.

What to look out for

Be wary of suspicious information requests asking for payment or information through unapproved channels.

Be aware of strange speech patterns or behaviours and ask the subjects to move around within the frame to confirm their authenticity.

Ask probing questions to verify the identity of the subject.

Pay attention to visual clues such as a lack of emotion or expression.

Listen for audio/video inconsistencies such as poor lip-syncing, excessive background noise and robotic-sounding voices.

If something seems suspicious, verify it through known contact numbers or methods.

View our quick guide to help you spot deepfake scams.

Deepfake detection - Quick guide

Look once. Think twice. Check thrice.

Lighting - Do the light and shadows look natural?
Eyes - Does the subject blink or look around naturally?
Speech - Are lip movements and audio out of sync and contain no human pauses or fillers (ums, errs)?
Face - Do the facial expressions seem natural and is there blurring or misalignment?
Source - Is the media from a reliable channel or platform?

End the chat. Contact Fidelity.

What to know about your transactions with Fidelity Canada

You will never be asked to disclose sensitive information like your credentials, passwords or credit card information.

Fidelity will only contact you through approved channels.

Text deepfakes

AI engines can mimic human writing composition to produce convincing text such as articles, social media posts and emails that appear to come from an individual or business.

What to look out for

Cross-reference information on our products, services and contact options through official Fidelity Canada platforms.

Do not rely exclusively on the information received from Gen-AI text platforms.

Always verify the information you receive by contacting us directly by email or phone.

What to know about your transactions with Fidelity Canada

Our contact information can be found on our Contact Us page.

You should always access Fidelity Canada content through approved channels and platforms.

Fidelity will never provide recommendations to buy or sell any particular financial product or service or ask you to provide your account information through unofficial channels. If you encounter suspicious activity or information about our products and services that you cannot verify, contact us at FICCustService@fidelity.ca.