Ways to protect yourself from common frauds and scams

While we make every effort to secure your personal information, there's plenty you can do to avoid falling prey to fraud and identity theft. Through awareness and good online habits, you can significantly reduce your risk of fraud and identity theft.

Ways to protect your online data

Discover options to protect yourself online.

Things TD Bank will never ask

Fraudsters can try to defraud you by impersonating your bank. Protect yourself by knowing certain things TD Bank will never ask you.

  1. TD Bank will never call you to ask for personal information over the phone.

  2. TD Bank will never request access to your personal computer.

  3. TD Bank will never ask you to transfer money as part of an investigation.

  1. TD Bank will never ask you to purchase gift cards.

  2. TD Bank will never ask you to be dishonest.

Passwords and logins

Password safety is the first line of defence against fraud. Even with new technologies such as voiceprint and facial recognition, passwords are still widely used across all industries and remain important to help protect personal information.

  • Never share your passwords or PIN with anyone.
  • Choose different passwords for your devices.
  • Use multi-factor authentication when possible.
  • Avoid entering passwords on devices you do not control.
  • Do not choose easily guessed passwords such as names and birthdays of people you know, or sequential passwords such as ‘12345’ and ‘ABCDEF.’

Social media

Social media is a common way to connect and stay in touch with colleagues, family and friends. Unfortunately, it is also a very popular way for fraudsters to target their victims.

  1. Avoid sharing sensitive information including your full birthdate, phone number and location.

  2. Do not accept friend requests from strangers.

  3. Use different passwords as well as verification questions for your social media accounts.

  1. If you use social media on your mobile device, ensure it is password protected.

  2. Always be cautious when receiving messages, particularly from those you don't know. Shortened URL's and fake advertisements are very common across social media.

  3. Be cautious of unusual posts or messages from friends and contacts, as accounts can be hacked.

Online purchases

Whether you’re new to online shopping or a savvy online shopper, it is important to know what to watch out for.

  1. Shop with well-established and familiar retailers. When shopping with new retailers, be vigilant and research the company or store prior to your purchase. 

  2. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

  3. Be cautious about how you make a payment. Paying with a credit card or debit card through a secure e-commerce site is the preferred method.

  4. Look for "https" at the start of the URL as well as a tiny padlock in your browser’s address bar. This will indicate the site is secured using an SSL Certificate.

  5. Avoid making purchases in a sales pop-up page. Go directly to the website you know is legitimate.

Viruses, malware and ransomware

Viruses and malware are malicious software which infects your computer and corrupts its data. Ransomware is when a criminal locks your computer and then demands payment to restore access. These types of attacks can be very damaging for businesses and people.

  • Be cautious with unsolicited emails and do not open any email attachments from strangers.
  • Be careful accessing or clicking links on new or unfamiliar websites.
  • Ensure your device or computer is running with the latest software updates.
  • Whenever possible, use multi-factor authentication for additional security.

Additional fraud resources

You can explore these resources to learn more about fraud prevention.