Confirm the document-upload channel before sending
A convincing message is not enough to establish where sensitive documents should go.
The distinction that matters
Use a contact route you already verified independently to confirm an unexpected request. Keep the requested purpose, recipient and upload destination together in your notes. A link can display familiar text while pointing elsewhere, and a cloud folder is not an authorised channel merely because someone says it is.
A worked example
An email asks you to send a passport to a new file-sharing link. Instead of uploading first and asking later, sign in through your established route or contact the operator through its documented support details. Ask whether that specific request and destination are theirs, without forwarding the document.
Your next steps
- Pause if the destination is unexpected.
- Confirm the request through a separate trusted route.
- Check the permitted file types and visible fields.
- Save the receipt after an authorised submission.
Where this answer stops
This is a verification workflow, not a guarantee that any website is safe. Do not send identity documents to Northline, a public forum or an unsolicited contact. A support conversation should never require your password or authentication codes.
Sources & reading
Primary references support the factual context below. Explanations, worked examples and calculations are original Northline analysis. Read how we handle evidence.
- Get Cyber Safe — phishing fact sheet
Government of Canada guidance on verifying suspicious messages. Historical statistics are not reproduced. Accessed ; source dated .
An editorial review date is not a new policy effective date. Always check the current source for operator-specific conditions.
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