TORONTO, March 2, 2017 /CNW/ - Technology has made lives easier, connecting people and businesses in an unprecedented ways. But with the steady pace of advancement and change comes the heightened risk of fraud, particularly digital and online fraud. Words like "phishing" and "smishing" that did not exist a decade ago have entered our everyday lexicon.
"The reality is that cyber-crime has become an increasingly problematic issue, not only for the financial services sector, but for other industries in Canada and around the globe," said Adam Evans, vice-president risk management at RBC. "It takes a combined effort between organizations and consumers to prevent fraudsters and cyber scammers from getting their hands on your private information."
According to the Canadian Banking Association, 72 per cent of Canadians use online and mobile banking as their primary means of banking, up from 52 per cent in 2012. It's clear that Canadians are accepting of new and convenient banking and payment technologies but it's important they know how to stay safe when using these tools.
"Empowering our clients and the public to protect themselves is one of the best lines of defense," added Evans. "As Canada's largest bank we believe we have a responsibility to help educate the public on common cyber, fraud and privacy scams."
Canadians can do their part to stay safe
Watch the RBC Be Cyber Smart video series; a collection of cyber awareness tips for individuals, families, youth and RBC clients:
RBC is a proud participant in Fraud Prevention and Cyber Awareness months and aims to build awareness among clients and employees year-round. Read more tips and watch the Be Cyber Smart video series anytime on RBC's Privacy & Security website.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We have over 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 35 other countries. For more information, please visit http://www.rbc.com/.
RBC helps communities prosper, supporting a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. For more information please see: http://www.rbc.com/community-sustainability/.
SOURCE RBC
Cheryl Brean, [email protected], RBC, 416-974-0263
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