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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.”

The emails come from non-BCSC email addresses. (All official BCSC emails end with @bcsc.bc.ca.) The fraudulent emails 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,” never communicates from an area code outside of B.C., and always sends its emails from @bcsc.bc.ca.

In addition, the BCSC will never:

  • Direct the public to other websites to download files or attempt to connect to their computers.
  • Contact people by email or phone to verify their identity.
  • Ask the public to send money anywhere at any time.
  • Promote companies or entities that claim to recover funds from scams.
  • Make unsolicited phone calls or other communications (texts or email) asking for payment or banking information in relation to enforcement actions or investigations.

The BCSC sometimes sends questionnaires to investors, but they always come from an email address ending with @bcsc.bc.ca. Recipients should always check the sender address and can contact the BCSC to confirm the questionnaire is legitimate if they have concerns.

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: