Beware of fake or fraudulent FSRA documents

FSRA is warning consumers and businesses to look out for fake or fraudulent documents using FSRA’s name, letterhead and logo.

It recently came to our attention that FSRA’s name, letterhead and logo were added to documents suggesting that FSRA had endorsed the release of funds between individuals.

If you see FSRA documents that are suspicious or are approached by someone claiming to represent FSRA, please contact FSRA directly and make a report.

Fraudulent documents mimic the style and look of legitimate correspondence, and may even include what appears to be signatures from organization officials, making them hard to distinguish from genuine correspondence. Scams using fraudulent documents  can be harmful to consumers leading to significant financial losses.

We encourage you to take these steps to protect yourself:

• Be skeptical – technology makes it easy to create legitimate looking documents by copying the logos and letterheads of organizations like FSRA. Inspect documents for clues that they are not legitimate, such as spelling mistakes and inconsistencies in the use of the organization’s name, address or contact information.
• Do your research – verify the organization you are dealing with is legitimate before you take any action. Research the organization and  contact them directly to confirm they produced the document in question.

More information on how to protect yourself from fraud is available at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.