What are phishing and smishing?

• Phishing describes fraudulent messages sent by email that appear to be from trusted organizations (banks, telecoms, or government agencies).
• Smishing describes fraudulent messages sent by SMS/text message for the same purpose.  

The goal of both scams is the same: steal your identity, your money, or both. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), phishing and smishing scams caused over $530 million in reported losses in 2023—and many cases go unreported.