Interac fraud: fake e-transfer links and Marketplace payment scams

The short version

Real incoming Interac SMS in Canada usually comes from short code 100001 or 100002. The deposit site is et.interac.ca (or you open your own bank app). You should never type your bank password on a page that arrived from a random text, email, or Marketplace chat.

If a buyer is “out of town” and wants to pay immediately for a local item, slow down. Cash in public, or turn on Interac Auto-Deposit so money lands in your bank without a deposit link.

What a fake Interac message looks like

The bait is money you were not expecting, or money for a sale you just posted. Then comes a link. Warning signs:

• The sender is not 100001 or 100002, and it is not [email protected].
• The link is not et.interac.ca. Lookalike spellings are the trick.
• The page asks for your full bank sign-in, not just a one-time code inside your real bank app.
• A CRA or “government refund” story is attached. The government does not pay that way.

Marketplace and Kijiji “I’ll pay now”

A common seller scam: someone asks if the item is available, says they are out of town, and offers to e-transfer you immediately. You then get a fake Interac page. Typing your bank password there can hand them the account.

Another version is overpayment. The buyer “accidentally” sends too much and asks you to refund the extra to a third person. Real buyers do not do that. Keep the original deal or walk away. Do not send the difference.

Safer habits for e-Transfer

Turn on Auto-Deposit at your bank so people can pay you without you clicking a link. Meet in a public place for cash when you can. If you must use e-Transfer, wait until the money shows in your bank app, not on a screenshot someone sent.

If you already typed a password on a fake page, call your bank from the number on your card. Ask them to lock the account and review Interac contacts. Tell family so they are not surprised by odd transfers.

How Guardian Circle helps

Guardian Circle can flag unknown texts and email previews that look like fake Interac, including “out of town, I’ll pay now” Marketplace wording. A linked caregiver gets an alert when something looks like a scam. It does not log into your bank. It does not move money. It is a warning layer on the phone, with family in the loop.

Common questions

Is an et.interac.ca link always safe?

Official Interac deposit pages use et.interac.ca. Scammers use lookalikes. Check the sender first (100001 / 100002 for SMS). If you were not expecting money, do not click. Auto-Deposit avoids the link entirely.

Someone sent a screenshot of an e-Transfer. Is that enough?

No. Screenshots are easy to fake. Wait until the money appears in your own bank app, or meet for cash.

Can Guardian Circle see my bank password?

No. It checks messages and calls on the phone. It does not ask for bank logins. Never type those on a page from a text or a Marketplace chat.

Official sites

For government or Interac rules, use their own pages. We wrote this guide in our words. We did not copy theirs.

• Interac (interac.ca)
• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

More help

• CRA scam. Fake refunds, arrest threats, and Google-ad tax pages. What the real CRA never does.
• Protect parents from phone scams. Household rules, cloned voices, and a five-minute setup on their Android.