Phishing

There are a range of simple and effective ways to help protect yourself online. The tips below provide information on how to avoid scams, how to spot phishing emails, how to prevent phishing and how to keep your Account details private and secure.

What to do in an Emergency

Lost your Card or eligible device or think you’ve been a victim of fraud? Call 1-800-869-3016 or the number on the back of your card. Outside of Canada (please call collect) 905-474-0870. For Corporate Cardmembers, please call 1-800-716-6661.

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a common scam where fraudsters send emails pretending to come from a bank, credit card company or other trusted organization. They usually try to trick you into clicking on a link to go to the site (often to update your password to avoid your Account being suspended).

If you click the link in the email, you’ll be taken to a website that looks genuine - but is actually a fake site designed to trick you into entering personal information such as your log in details, password, Account number or other sensitive information.

If you receive an email relating to American Express that you believe could be fraudulent, immediately forward it to spoof@americanexpress.ca. Please ensure you do not include your Account number in the email.

If you feel your American Express Account information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

How to spot phishing emails

The email itself can look as if it comes from a genuine source. Fake emails can often (but not always) be spotted in the following ways:

The sender’s email address is different from the real organization’s website address.
The email is sent from a completely different address or a free webmail address.
The email does not use your proper name, but uses a non-specific greeting such as “Dear customer”.
They want you to act urgently – i.e. that unless you do something right away, your Account may be closed or suspended.
The email contains a request for personal information such as a username, password or bank details.

How to prevent phishing

Never release your Card number, Card security code, PIN or password to an unknown person or organization.
Beware of anyone calling or emailing you and requesting security information. If you are unsure about the identity of a caller, phone American Express using the number on the back of your Card
American Express is obliged to identify you when calling you. If we call you we will normally ask only for partial answers to security questions.
Keep your anti-virus software, firewall and security patches up-to-date to prevent fraudsters accessing your details via your computer.
Do not open emails which you suspect as being spam.
Do not respond to emails from unknown sources or open their attachments.
Most email clients come with spam filtering as standard, so ensure yours is switched on.
Think before you click on links in emails from unknown sources. Instead, roll your mouse pointer over the link to reveal its true destination. Beware if this is different from what is displayed in the text of the link from the email.
Most spam and junk filters can be set to allow email to be received from trusted sources, and blocked.

Identity Theft

Find out what you can do to help keep your financial details safe and secure.

Related Pages

Fraud Protection

We have intelligent security systems in place to help protect your Card from fraud¹.

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Alerts & Notifications

Keep track of your account with personalized updates through email, SMS, and/or our Amex App.

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Terms and Conditions

TM, ®: Used by Amex Bank of Canada under license from American Express.

1. We will guarantee protection against fraudulent payments on your Card, provided you have taken the responsibility to notify us immediately, and you have complied with your Card Terms and Conditions.