The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) posted an Email Fraud Alert yesterday, cautioning taxpayers to be aware of a phishing scam posing as CRA communication. Phishing is an attempt to acquire secure, personal information from individuals or businesses, such as user names or credit card information, by posing as trustworthy entity in electronic or other communication. The fraudulent CRA communications demand personal taxpayer information claiming the taxpayer will receive a tax refund or benefit payment, or refers the taxpayer to a fake CRA website asking the taxpayer to verify personal information.
While most of us are tech-savvy enough to recognize a phishing scam, here are some clarifications the CRA provided as pertinent:
– The CRA will not request personal information of any kind from a taxpayer by email.
– The CRA will not divulge taxpayer information to another person unless formal authorization is provided by the taxpayer. The CRA will not leave any personal information on an answering machine.
In general, always be alert for emails requesting personal information, emails requiring “immediate action” to prevent a service from being shut down, and remain wary of any unsolicited email.
The CRA has additional information and examples of fraudulent communication on their website.
