Realistic dental benefit scam hits Ontario

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Published February 4, 2024 at 1:16 pm

Ontario residents receiving monthly and/or quarterly government benefit cheques, including those eligible for the Canadian dental benefit, are urged to exercise caution due to a new scam targeting beneficiaries.

Service Canada— a federal government organization offering services to citizens, residents and businesses— warns of scammers who are sending fraudulent emails and texts posing as representatives.

The scammers will then tell the recipient that they are contacting them on behalf of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).

This could be another phishing ploy to retrieve personal information from victims such as bank account numbers, home addresses and Social insurance numbers (SINS).

However, victims may encounter challenges in distinguishing whether it is a scam, given that this is a legitimate program offered by the Canadian government.

According to Canada.ca the CDCP aims to make dental care more accessible for eligible residents.

Individuals who have an annual family net income below $90,000 and no dental insurance qualify for the benefit.

Additionally, for anyone who is a parent or guardian to a child or children under 12 and do not have access to dental insurance, may also be eligible.  This benefit remains available until June 30, 2024.

Applications are currently organized in phases, beginning with seniors.

Service Canada says as of right now, they are only reaching out to potential eligible seniors aged 70 and older by mail.

Service Canada has not mentioned on their website if anyone has fallen victim to this particular scam, though residents are advised to not respond if they are contacted.

“Delete the text and email,” Service Canada noted in their tweet on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s a scam!”

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