Tax refund email circulating in Mississauga, Brampton and Hamilton is a scam
Published May 12, 2022 at 12:38 pm
The Canada Revue Agency (CRA) has issued a warning about an email scam that is circulating in Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton and many other parts of Ontario.
The bogus notice usually shows up in your inbox with the subject line “tax refund” or “claim your refund” or possibly some other tempting offer.
A bulletin put out by the CRA indicates such messages will never come from their office.
“It is scammers trying to get your banking information,” a CRA official said.
Here are the guidelines issued by the CRA when it comes to emails.
Videos
The CRA may
- notify you by email when a new message or a document, such as a notice of assessment or reassessment, is available for you to view in secure CRA portals such as My Account, My Business Account, or Represent a Client. To confirm if an email notification you received is legitimate, see email notifications you will receive
- email you a link to a CRA web page, form, or publication that you ask for during a phone call or a meeting with a CRA agent (this is the only case where the CRA will send an email containing links)
- email you a consent form to meet with someone from the CRA via videoconference. You will only receive the form after you’ve agreed to provide your email address
- email you about child and family benefits and the CRA’s online services, such as My Account (you will only receive these emails if you’ve subscribed to a mailing list)
The CRA will not
- give or ask for personal or financial information by email or ask you to click on a link
- email you a link that demands you fill in an online form with personal or financial details
- send you an email with a link to your 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