Have you heard about incidents of unsolicited emails or text messages from supposedly legitimate companies that trick innocent victims into divulging Personal Information? This scam is known as "phishing" or "brand spoofing".

ATB Financial will never send you a text or call asking for you to reply with personal information such as your password, your client card number, or your login information. There are occasions where you will be sent an email with a link that will allow you to reset a password or enrol in online banking. But that will only happen in response to something you have requested or agreed to.

If you have any doubts about whether an email is from ATB, check with your branch or call us at 1-800-332-8383.

How to spot a scam

These phishing scams often come in the form of a SMS text or email and suggest clicking on a link or attachment for one of the following reasons:

• To change or update personal information
• To invite you to enter a contest
• To warn of possible suspension of your client card or account
• To invite you to apply for products

After clicking on an attachment or link from the unsolicited email, the user is taken to a fraudulent and bogus site that requests confidential information, which could include:

• Bank card numbers or user IDs
• Account numbers
• Personal identification numbers (PINs)
• Credit card numbers
• Social insurance numbers (SINs)
• Other personal or private information
• Passwords

Usually the scams:

• Are designed to mimic the look and feel of a genuine site
• Contain a web address with the "@" symbol or a numeric address (e.g., 123.456.1.2). The address may also include the word, phrase, or text of a company name (e.g., "ATB") to make it appear authentic.

How to protect yourself

• If you encounter a suspicious-looking unsolicited email that appears to be from ATB Financial, do not reply or click the link. Instead, contact us immediately at 1-800-332-8383 or forward the original email as an attachment to fraud@atb.com.
• Never share your username, password, PIN or two-factor authentication (2FA) codes with anyone—including an ATB team member.
• Review your financial statements regularly for unauthorized or suspicious transactions. If you have not yet signed up for ATB Personal banking, consider doing so—it may help you identify suspicious transactions much sooner.
• Never send personal or financial information to anyone by email or SMS text.
• Always enter the ATB Personal website using your bookmarks or any of our published URLs.
• Do not immediately trust that an email or SMS text has come from a legitimate source, just because the "from" line logo, or image looks legitimate. They can easily be forged. In other words, an email that appears to come from ATB might not.
• Be suspicious of email attachments from unknown sources. If you do not know or recognize the sender of the email, do not open the attachment.
• Beware of warnings like "urgent response required." Such statements are often used to frighten people into acting quickly.
• Pay attention to links in email and SMS text messages. A link in a phishing message will take you to a fraudulent website designed to look genuine. In order for it to be a secure site, it needs to have https:// at the beginning of the web address (URL). You should also review its security certificate. If you want to log in to one of our online services, type the URL into the address/location window on your web browser or save a link in your favourites list.
• Do not trust offers of money or threats of legal action.
• Do not be fooled by warnings about "security compromises" or "security threats." Fraudsters will often make claims like these to frighten people into disclosing Personal Information to resolve the supposed threat.
• When you receive emails, run your anti-virus software to ensure they contain no viruses.

If you think you have received a fraudulent email, SMS text, or call or disclosed any confidential information, or you have any other concerns about security, please call us at 1-800-332-8383 or email fraud@atb.com.​​​​​​​​​​​​