Not today, scammer! Find out if it’s really the CRA contacting you
CRA SOURCE ARTICLE
Are you receiving emails insisting you click on a link? Text messages promising a benefit payment or refund? Phone calls threatening to send the police if you don’t pay up?
Not only are all of these really annoying, they are all signs of scams!
Scammers continue to pose as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and other government departments and agencies, to trick you into giving them money or personal information. Unfortunately, they’re still having some success. The amount of money that people have lost to scams and fraud has increased over the years.
Not cool, scammers… not cool!
So what can we do?
The two most important things individuals have in defence of scams are awareness and time.
Knowing what to expect when the CRA contacts you can help you tell the difference between real communications from the CRA and scams.
Scammers will try to pressure you and get you to act quickly. Why? Because the more time you have to think about what you’re being asked to do, and the more time you have to go to official Canada.ca web pages to check if it’s legitimate, the more likely you are to recognize it as a scam. The CRA scam alerts page can help you stay up-to-date and avoid the latest scams that may target you.
Remember – when it comes to scams, time is on your side! Take a minute to think about the text, email, letter, or phone call you received. What are you being asked to do? Does it seem unusual, or too good to be true? Are you being pressured with aggressive language or threats?
If you are unsure and want to confirm if a message is from the CRA, please contact the CRA:
In the provinces
Individuals:
1-800-959-8281
Businesses:
1-800-959-5525
In the territories
Individuals:
1-866-426-1527
Businesses:
1-866-841-1876
If it turns out to be a scam, you can report it through the options on the Scams and fraud page, which also includes additional tips and helpful information.
By staying informed, you can avoid scams, and can proudly say - not today, scammer… not any day!
What should I do if I have been scammed?
If you suspect that you may be the victim of a scam or fraud or you have been tricked into giving personal or financial information, contact all of the following:
your local police service
your financial institution
credit reporting agencies
You should contact the CRA specifically if you:
think your CRA user ID or password has been compromised
find changes to your banking, address, business, or personal information made in your CRA My Account that you did not request
find a benefit application made for you without your knowledge
want to disable online access to the CRA’s sign-in services
want to enable online access to the CRA’s sign-in services after it has been disabled