Beware of phishing campaign fraudulently representing the Autorité des marchés financiers

Investor warnings - News Securities

Montréal – The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) cautions Québec consumers about a phishing campaign conducted by hackers.

The hackers purport to be AMF staff members and ask that money be transferred to them in connection with a stock market trade or cryptocurrency sale.

The e-mail domain name used is “@lautorite-support.finance”. This domain name is in no way connected with the AMF, which recently asked the provider to shut it down.

The AMF urges Québec consumers to be very cautious when they receive unsolicited e-mail messages. Do not click on any hyperlinks or open any attachments.

The AMF stresses that there are no circumstances under which a member of its staff might demand or request the payment of cash amounts via personal bank transfer. Also, it has only one e-mail domain name: “@lautorite.qc.ca”.

The AMF recommends that Québec consumers perform the following checks and steps before transferring any money by e-mail or otherwise:

  • If the request appears to come from an established organization, contact the organization using the contact information on its official website to confirm that the request is actually connected with that organization
  • If the request appears to come from a firm or individual, find out whether they are duly registered with the AMF by checking the Register of firms and individuals authorized to practise or contacting the AMF Information Centre
  • If the firm or individual is registered with the AMF, call the firm or individual at the phone number listed in the Register to confirm that the solicitation is actually connected with that firm or individual
  • If the firm or individual is not registered with the AMF, immediately report the situation to the AMF Information Centre
  • Never share personal information or transfer any money before performing these checks

The Autorité des marchés financiers is the regulatory and oversight body for Québec's financial sector.

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Information:

Media only:
Sylvain Théberge: 514-940-2176

Information Centre:
Québec City: 418-525-0337
Montréal: 514-95-0337
Toll-free: 1-877-525-0337
Twitter: @lautorite This link will open in a new window
LinkedIn: Autorité des marchés financiers (Québec) This link will open in a new window