Investor Warning
Warning about fake BC Securities Commission emails
The BC Securities Commission (BCSC) is aware of individuals receiving fraudulent emails from people claiming to be various BCSC staff, including from the “BCSC Recovery Unit.”
Some of the emails come from Gmail addresses, including bcscrecoveryunit@gmail.com, which are unaffiliated with the BCSC. They also include the names of actual BCSC officials, and the non-existent “BCSC Recovery Unit,” as well as:
- BCSC letterhead
- References to non-existent BCSC file numbers
- Fake signatures from BCSC staff
- A fake “Supreme Court of British Columbia” seal, and
- A phone number from a 409 area code.
Some of the emails tell the recipient that their identity has been verified and they are now “verified investors.”
Members of the public should beware of such emails. The BCSC does not have a “Recovery Unit,” and never communicates from a Gmail address or an area code outside of B.C. Nor will the BCSC ever contact people by email or phone to verify their identity.
If you receive such an email, or some other communication similar to this, do not provide your personal or confidential information. Instead, please contact the BCSC. You can reach us by completing our online complaint form, or at:
- 604-899-6854 or 1-800-373-6393 (toll free across Canada)
- inquiries@bcsc.bc.ca