Tax Tip Thursday

Unfortunately CRA scams always heat up this time of year, so lets go through a few, how to spot them and what to do if it happens.

The CRA says any texts or messages asking Canadians to click a link are likely scams!

Scammers are also getting more sophisticated and utilizing all forms of communication to bombard Canadians, making it overwhelming and confusing to decipher the authentic CRA messages from the fakes.

Do you think you might have been scammed? Click here now and talk to the CRA.

Biggest CRA Scams to Watch For

• Text messages that contain personal information with a link claiming to be from the CRA
• Phone calls from scammers pretending to be the CRA or RCMP requesting cryptocurrency payments in order to cancel an arrest warrant
• Emails or text messages offering a GST/HST tax refund with a link to a form that needs to be filled out immediately
• Text messages stating there’s an error with your CRA account
• Messages offering tax refunds that require personal information such as a SIN, date of birth or banking details to be revealed
• Identity theft where fraudsters file fake tax returns. You might receive notifications that changes have been made to your CRA account or have difficulty filing your legitimate tax return
• Scammers spoofing (masking their phone number or caller ID) using local numbers or law enforcement numbers demanding payments

How To Avoid Falling Victim

The CRA will never ask for personal information via email or text messages or send links to click on. The one exception is if you personally call the CRA asking them to send a form or link to information, the CRA agent will send it to you while you’re on the phone with them.

The CRA will never request to be paid in prepaid credit cards or gift cards, cryptocurrency or via e-Transfer. It will also not resort to threats of arrest, aggressive language, or leave personal information/threats on an answering machine. To create more awareness, the CRA launched a new alert page informing Canadians of the latest scams.

One of the best ways to avoid falling victim is to ensure your MyAccount is set up on the official website and add multi-factor authentication. That is how the CRA will communicate with you.

What To Do if Think You’ve Fallen for a CRA Scam

Receive a suspicious letter, text, call, or email?

Visit this CRA website and it might help you determine whether or not it’s real. If you’re still not sure, just call! A CRA agent will tell you if it’s authentic.

Did you fall for a scam? It’s okay!

But you must report it as soon as possible. Click here for a link to the CRA page with detailed instructions and phone numbers to call. Scams can be reported to local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If a social insurance number has been stolen, Service Canada should be informed.

Canadians should call the CRA if any personal account information has been changed, benefits have been applied for without consent, or to disable online access to CRA sign-in services.

It’s Tax Season!

Aside from scams, it is still tax season! It’s important to get started on your tax return, especially if you’re having a professional do it for you. Many accountants are retiring or are full, so don’t leave it too late! We are still accepting new clients, although we are booking nearly a month in advance already. Don’t waste time. Book your appointment today.

Disclaimer:

This article provides information of a general nature only. It is only current at the posting date. It is not updated and it may no longer be current. It does not provide legal or tax advice nor can it or should it be relied upon. All tax situations are specific to each individual. If you have specific tax questions you should book an appointment for a 1 on 1 consultation.