A recently released statement from FSCO warns brokers about messages being sent through Kijiji by a person or persons impersonating the organization.
A recently released statement from FSCO warns brokers about messages being sent through Kijiji by a person or persons impersonating the organization.
“It has recently come to the attention of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) that mortgage brokers or agents advertising on Kijiji have received unauthorized e-mail responses purported to be from FSCO,” the statement reads.
The commission has provided a sample of the type of communication being sent:
From: Financial Services Commission of Ontario ([email protected])
We have received your ad and find it to be in contravention of FSCO’s advertising guidelines. You must remove this ad immediately or be subject to a fine and\or loss of license.
Financial Services Commission of Ontario.
You can respond to “Financial Services Commission of Ontario ([email protected])” by replying to this email
“Even though they include the correct FSCO contact centre e-mail, messages such as these are not legitimate communications from FSCO,” the statement reads. “FSCO does not use [email protected] to write to mortgage brokers or agents for compliance purposes.”
The commission may, however, contact brokers directly through email or telephone; and in these cases the staff member making contact will properly identify herself by providing a name, title and contact information.
FSCO has asked brokers who believe they may have received fraudulent emails to report them.
“If you believe you have received an unauthorized FSCO response about a Kijiji ad, or want to report a mortgage brokering ad that may be a contravention of the law, you can send FSCO a copy, screen-grab or photograph of the ad, along with its location and the date and time you received or viewed it,” the statement says. “This information can be sent to [email protected].”
Related:
Brokers applaud FSCO, but is it enough?
FSCO warns of unlicensed mortgage developer
“It has recently come to the attention of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) that mortgage brokers or agents advertising on Kijiji have received unauthorized e-mail responses purported to be from FSCO,” the statement reads.
The commission has provided a sample of the type of communication being sent:
From: Financial Services Commission of Ontario ([email protected])
We have received your ad and find it to be in contravention of FSCO’s advertising guidelines. You must remove this ad immediately or be subject to a fine and\or loss of license.
Financial Services Commission of Ontario.
You can respond to “Financial Services Commission of Ontario ([email protected])” by replying to this email
“Even though they include the correct FSCO contact centre e-mail, messages such as these are not legitimate communications from FSCO,” the statement reads. “FSCO does not use [email protected] to write to mortgage brokers or agents for compliance purposes.”
The commission may, however, contact brokers directly through email or telephone; and in these cases the staff member making contact will properly identify herself by providing a name, title and contact information.
FSCO has asked brokers who believe they may have received fraudulent emails to report them.
“If you believe you have received an unauthorized FSCO response about a Kijiji ad, or want to report a mortgage brokering ad that may be a contravention of the law, you can send FSCO a copy, screen-grab or photograph of the ad, along with its location and the date and time you received or viewed it,” the statement says. “This information can be sent to [email protected].”
Related:
Brokers applaud FSCO, but is it enough?
FSCO warns of unlicensed mortgage developer
