The CRA scam continues. During tax season the Canada Revenue Agency released as statement warning citizens of a phone or email scam claiming to be CRA and asking for personal information. Huntsville OPP Constable Lynda Cranney says the scam hasn’t stopped.
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Cranney confirmed there have been local victims. She says CRA would never send out an email wanting personal information the agency should already have. If you get an email like this, don’t click on any links or reply. Contact the Anti Fraud Centre instead.
Below are examples of recent CRA scams:
Examples of recent telephone scams involve threatening or coercive language to scare individuals into pre-paying fictitious debt to the CRA. These calls should be ignored and reported to the RCMP (see contact information below).
Examples of recent email scams include notifications to taxpayers that they are entitled to a refund of a specific amount, or informing taxpayers that their tax assessment has been verified and they are eligible to receive a tax refund. These emails often have CRA logos or internet links that appear official. Some contain obvious grammar or spelling mistakes.
These types of communication are not from the CRA. If the CRA does contact you by telephone, there are established processes in place to ensure your personal information is protected.
The CRA:
- NEVER requests information from a taxpayer about a passport, health card, or driver’s license.
- NEVER divulges taxpayer information to another person unless formal authorization is provided by the taxpayer.
- NEVER leaves any personal information on an answering machine or asks taxpayers to leave a message with their personal information on an answering machine.
 Anyone who receives a suspicious communication should immediately report it to [email protected] or to the institution that the communication appears to be from.