April 6th, 2021
Fraudulent telephone calls, text messages and emails from people who claim to work for the Canada Revenue Agency are on the rise. These scams promise a “refund” if you provide certain personal information or they may threaten aggressive collection action if you fail to pay an amount owing. Be aware that:
- The CRA doesn’t communicate with taxpayers by email, except for notifications to view mail on CRA My Account. The agency won’t ask for personal or financial information, or request payment, via email. All emails from anyone who claims to be with the CRA are fraudulent, so disregard them.
- You should never share any personal information by phone. Your name, your social insurance number and your and/or your accountant’s address should already be on record with the CRA, so if a “CRA representative” calls to confirm those details, don’t provide them.
- The CRA is required to provide any communications it makes in writing. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be with the agency, insist that they directly mail you or your representative. Again, because the CRA has your personal information, including your name, SIN and address, you don’t need to include it when requesting communication in writing.
Posted in Seminars + Presentations
