How to Protect Yourself from Credit Card Fraud

Online Shopping

When shopping and sharing your information online, following these simple rules can help lower the risk of credit card fraud:

Use Safe Websites and Wi-Fi

• Be aware of fake online stores. Check that the website URL matches the company’s main site, and look out for spelling and grammar mistakes, or low-quality images
• Call the customer service line. If no one answers it, or you can’t find a number, avoid sharing your credit card information on that website
• Trusted sites generally have a URL that starts with HTTPS, not HTTP. HTTPS offers encryption that keeps your data safe and secure
• Avoid using unsecured public Wi-Fi networks when shopping online, paying bills or sharing any financial information online. If you must use public Wi-Fi, use secured public Wi-Fi that would require a login, password or agreement to terms to access.

Shop and Send Money Securely

• Use unique passwords for all your bank and shopping accounts, or use a good password creation and storage service to help you stay extra secure
• Don’t send money or financial information to someone you haven’t met in person. Scammers can target social media and dating apps and establish online relationships just to steal your money

Email Fraud Prevention

Since your email address is used for both communication and logins, it’s an attractive target for scammers. Here are some ways to help keep your email account safe:

Protect your Email

• Only share your email address with people and companies you trust. Follow the tips above about verifying websites and shopping securely. You can also set up a separate email just for sign-ups like subscriptions and newsletters
• Avoid including any financial information when sending an email
• Use a strong and unique password or use a good password creation and storage service

Avoid Spam and Malicious Messages

• Trust your spam filter. Avoid opening spam emails, and don’t click on any links that appear in spam emails. Even unsubscribe links can be unsafe as they let scammers know that your email address is active
• Be on the lookout for phishing scams, where a sender pretends to be a person or company you trust to gain access to your information
• If you receive an email that looks real, but asks for financial or personal information, contact the sender’s public telephone number to verify its authenticity

Smartphone Protection

Your smartphone contains a wealth of information that is valuable to scammers. Using strong security settings and following these basic tips can help keep you from being open to hacking or fraud:

Lock Your Phone

• Set your phone to lock automatically when not in use
• Use a unique password, pattern, facial recognition or fingerprint to unlock your phone

Maintain Your Software and Security

• Keep your phone’s software and apps up to date, even those that don’t have access to your credit card information
• Only download apps from your phone’s app store. The Apple App Store and Google Play Store have strict security requirements
• Use a different password for every app and login. If a scammer gains access to one of your account passwords, you might be vulnerable if you’ve used that password on other accounts

Pay with Your Phone

• You can easily add your credit card to your mobile wallet to make purchases at any store that accepts contactless credit and/or debit payments
• If you earn rewards points, miles or cash back, you’ll keep on earning them when you tap to pay using your smartphone
• With the RBC Digital Banking Security Guarantee you’re fully protected against any eligible digital transactions you didn’t make or approve as long as you fulfill your responsibilities¹

Physical Card

Your credit card contains an encrypted microchip that’s impossible to replicate. This, along with your PIN offers an easy and secure way to protect you and your finances. But with a few extra precautions, you can avoid your information falling into the wrong hands. Here’s how to help keep your card safe:

Activating and Storing Your Card

• Activate your card as soon as you receive it. You must activate your card to use it.
• If your card has a signature line on the back, be sure to sign it before you use it. Some stores compare the signature on your card to a signed sales receipt to verify your identity.
• If you’re getting a replacement card, cut up the old card before throwing it away. Separate the cut-up pieces into a few different garbage bags so dumpster divers are less likely to put it back together.
• Store your card in the same spot in your wallet or purse so you’ll immediately notice if it’s missing.

Using Your Card Safely

• Never leave your card unattended
• When choosing a PIN, avoid easy to guess numbers like birthdays or consecutive numbers like 1111 or 1234
• Never share your credit card or PIN with anyone
• Use contactless credit payments for a secure way to pay in-store. Look for the contactless symbol on the payment terminal and simply tap your card to pay.
• Cover the screen or keypad when you’re entering your PIN in a public place
• Shred or tear up any credit card statements or information before tossing them into the trash
• Review your statement every month for unfamiliar or suspicious charges. If you find something suspicious, call us right away: 1-800-769-2512.

What to do if Your Card is Lost or Stolen

• If your card is lost or stolen call us right away: 1-800-769-2512.
• You can also temporarily lock your card through RBC Online Banking or the RBC Mobile app to stop anyone from using your card.
• If you don’t recognize a charge on your statement, get help understanding your credit card transactions

Telephone Shopping

You can still pay by credit card over the phone, but know how to protect yourself from scammers pretending to be people and organizations you know. Keep these tips in mind when using your credit card over the phone:

Verify the Caller

• Never give your credit card number to someone who called you, even if they say you’ve won a prize or are under investigation
• To verify the caller, hang up and call the organization back to see if that organization did in fact call you

Verify the Details

• When providing your payment information, make the call in a space where you won’t be overheard by others
• Ask the merchant to repeat the details of the purchase before confirming your transaction
• Check your statements closely to ensure there were no errors in payment or hidden fees you weren’t aware of

How Do I Stay Informed?

RBC Alerts are a great way to stay up to date on your credit card transactions and balances. They can help you monitor your account for large purchases, or suspicious or fraudulent activity, so you can act sooner to protect yourself from further damage.

• Set up alerts in RBC Online Banking² or the RBC Mobile App² to trigger when a large purchase is made.
• RBC uses the SMS shortcode 722373 to send you fraud alerts in order to confirm suspicious transactions that may have taken place on your RBC credit card. RBC will never ask you to click on a link, or provide personal information via a fraud alert. Learn more about RBC SMS Shortcode alerts.