Beware of this phishing message that contains Desjardins’ image more real than ever

Desjardins is warning its members that a new phishing attempt bearing their image is circulating via email. The message of refunds on recent transactions for its members is a way for them to thank them for their great loyalty. Unfortunately, this is actually an attempted bank scam that must be taken down, as hackers direct their victims to a fake login page in order to gain their access. Fake email, more real than ever, flaunts the colors of a Co-operative Credit Union and contains few errors, potentially jeopardizing the security of many accounts.

Unfortunately, this is neither the first nor the last time that scammers have attempted to impersonate Desjardins or another popular financial institution.

While you can often use my tips for recognizing phishing attempts and scams to protect yourself from them, in some situations, fake emails are so well done that it’s hard to go undetected.

Because of this, it is important to know the clues and modus operandi of scammers so that we do not get caught, as is the case with this real-life phishing email.

Another refund offer

Various waves of Desjardins’ picture messages have been circulating for years, and each time, it’s for the same reason: The people behind this email are trying to steal our information so we can connect to our bank account and take all our money.

As with other scam attempts, like the one with Hydro-Québec’s picture, for example, the same hook is used: Payback.

In this case, we would suggest rewarding Desjardins members for the trust of Desjardins members, and no way… with a refund of course! The received message reads as follows:

YOUR CONFIDENCE WORTH A REWARD: GET A PERSONAL REFUND TODAY!

ladies and gentlemen,

May this day bring you much joy and success. Allow us to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to you, a loyal customer of our financial institution.

Your unwavering confidence is our inspiration. To show you our appreciation, we’re excited to offer you an exclusive opportunity: an exceptional refund for your most recent transactions.

Every time you trade, you prove your loyalty to us, and we want to reward you in a meaningful way.

Enter this exchange to claim this amount. This money is rightfully yours, and we will do our best to return it to you.

Note that we will deposit funds within 48 hours.

Your trust is the driving force behind our commitment to you, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your loyalty to our financial institution.

The Desjardins Group team

An overview of the email some Desjardins members have received.

Being mistaken for a phishing email

Although some clues betray the scam, such as the fact that a refund is offered, or even The recipient’s email addressThe best way to differentiate between real and fake email is still a well put together email.

Whether it’s the logo, the font, or the colors, all the elements are there, and everything, of course, bears Desjardin’s image in order to sow doubt.

This does not include the fact that unlike some scams, there are very few misspellings, which do not immediately alert us.

The hyperlink we are invited to click is included in the words, which means we have no clue as to the site it directs us to.

This obviously ends up in a malicious site to allow scammers to steal our information. This is where we see how important it is to have a good protection suite, as it will block the site in question if we click on the link.

What to do if you receive a fraudulent email with a picture of Desjardins

As always, be careful with this type of email. At all times we should look at the sender’s email address, the links we want to be redirected to and the way the message is written in order to realize that it is phishing.

In such a case, if we receive the message, we can simply delete it and block the recipient’s email address so that they don’t write to us anymore.

Finally, I will never repeat it enough, but in case of doubt it is always best to contact the institution concerned, here Desjardins, so that they may confirm or deny whether or not it is a legitimate connection.

Honestly, it only takes a few minutes, but it can actually save us hundreds, even thousands of dollars.