CSA Investor Alert: Canadian securities regulators warn the public about impersonation scams

The CSA is aware of at least one investor who was contacted via text message by a scammer who pretended to be an investigator from a provincial securities regulator and attempted to obtain funds from the investor. (Pexels Photo)

Montreal – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is warning the public to be vigilant for unsolicited communications that come from scammers posing as CSA staff or staff of CSA members.

The CSA is aware of at least one investor who was contacted via text message by a scammer who pretended to be an investigator from a provincial securities regulator and attempted to obtain funds from the investor.

Anyone who receives a communication that they find suspicious, and that appears to be from staff at the CSA or of a CSA member, should contact their local securities regulator directly to verify whether the message is genuine. Investors should not reply to the suspicious communication directly or rely on contact information included in the communication. Instead, they should refer to the official contact list for CSA members on the CSA website.

Investors are reminded that the CSA and CSA members will never:

• Ask investors to send money anywhere at any time.
• Promote any kind of investment scheme or company.
• Promote companies or entities offering to recover funds that have been scammed.
• Make unsolicited phone calls or send unsolicited emails or text messages to investors asking for payments related to enforcement actions or investigations.

Additionally, investors who believe they have received a suspicious e-mail, phone call or text claiming to be from the CSA can notify the CSA via email at CSA-ACVM-Secretariat@acvm-csa.ca.

The CSA, the council of the securities regulators of Canada’s provinces and territories, co-ordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian capital markets.