How to Recognize Tax Fraud
It is important to remain vigilant when receiving potentially fraudulent communication (either by telephone, mail, text message, or email) 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.
By Telephone
The CRA will never:
- Demand immediate payment by 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 claim a potential refund
- Demand immediate payment by 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
By Mail
The CRA will never:
- Set up a meeting with you in a public place to take a payment
- Demand immediate payment by 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
By Text Messages/Instant Messaging
The CRA never uses text messages or instant messaging (such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp) to communicate with taxpayers about tax-related issues under any circumstance. If a taxpayer receives text or instant messages claiming to be from the CRA, they are scams!
Visit the Fraud and Cyber Crime section on iiCanada’s Financial Well-Being page for resources, tools, and information to protect yourself and your business from scams and fraud.