*(the only certain things in life)

Scammers are adding cybercrime to that list especially during tax season. While you’re busy organizing your numbers for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), cyber crooks are busy looking for the next person to make their victim.

CRA will only send you payments (refunds) by direct deposit or by cheque in the mail, and will never request login verification, credit card information, or e-transfers of any kind by email. 

Canada Revenue Agency Advisory
Scammers posing as Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees continue to contact Canadians, misleading them into paying false debt, or claim a refund.

Know how to recognize a scam
Taxpayers should be vigilant when they receive, either by telephone, mail, text message or email, a fraudulent communication that claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requesting personal information such as a social insurance number, credit card number, bank account number, or passport number.

These scams may insist that this personal information is needed so that the taxpayer can receive a refund or a benefit payment. Cases of fraudulent communication could also involve threatening or coercive language to scare individuals into paying fictitious debt to the CRA. Other communications urge taxpayers to visit a fake CRA website where the taxpayer is then asked to verify their identity by entering personal information. These are scams and taxpayers should never respond to these fraudulent communications or click on any of the links provided.

By phone The CRA will never:

• ask for information about your passport, health card, or driver’s license 
• demand immediate payment by credit card, Interac e-transfer, bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or others
• use aggressive language or threaten you with arrest or sending the police 
• leave voicemails that are threatening or give personal or financial information

By email The CRA will never:

• give or ask for personal or financial information by email and ask you to click on a link
• email you a link asking you to fill in an online form with personal or financial details
• send you an email with a link to your refund 
• demand immediate payment by credit card, Interac e-transfer, bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or others threaten you with arrest or a prison sentence

        But may:

• notify you by email when a new message or a document, such as a notice of assessment or reassessment, is available for you to view in secure CRA portals such as My Account

By text messages/instant messaging The CRA never:

• use text messages or instant messaging such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to communicate with taxpayers under any circumstance. If you receive a text or instant messages claiming to be from the CRA, they are scams! Delete.

Questions

• Please send them to CyberAware@rrc.ca

* Reprinted from April 8, 2022 Staff News