The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) has been monitoring its systems for unusual activities after several market participants received e-mails that purport to come from CSA members' staff. 

“The email appears to come from a member of the CSA through a fraudulent domain name along with a Montreal mailing address,” says the securities regulators’ organization in an Aug. 26 statement. 

The CSA says the e-mails are believed to be “malicious ‘phishing’ attempts by unknown individuals who may be trying to obtain personal information or confidential business information.”

The regulators are urging those receiving an e-mail from the CSA to determine whether the message is from a real CSA or CSA members' e-mail address; whether the message is from someone they know who works at CSA or CSA member organizations; and whether they were expecting this e-mail.

The CSA advises that if you have clicked on a link, or opened an attachment, it is important that you take immediate steps to change your email password. The organization also asks that if you receive a suspicious e-mail claiming to be from the CSA, to please contact them at [email protected].