If it looks too good to be true – it usually isn’t – scam artists pretending to be the government.

By Staff

March 18, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 Tax time  approaching and those who choose to steal instead of work for a living have found that they can often fool people into giving them information which they then use to take your money from you.

The Halton Regional Police are advising the public of a scam involving fraudulent communications mimicking the Canada Revenue Agency.

The message frequently looks like this.  This is not the way the government communicates with you.  Ignore it – don’t even click on any of the links.

You might get an email that looks like it comes from the Canada Revenue Agency telling you there has been a mistake or a reassessment and that they are owed a refund. They are then asked to provide detailed personal information telling you it is required to process the refund. They will ask for full name, address, date of birth and social insurance number. They might ask you to provide personal banking or credit card information. The moment you give them this information they can begin pretending they are you and start taking your money.

 Fraudsters have gone even further, telephoning individuals directly, stating that they owe back taxes in the amount of thousands of dollars and threatening them with arrest or deportation if they are not paid immediately.

The CRA does not request personal information of any kind by email and has a formal process in place for those who owe taxes and would never demand cash payment immediately.

 Halton Police encourages individuals who receive such communications to take a moment and consider the following:

 Are you expecting a refund from the CRA?
Does this sound too good to be true?
Why would the CRA be asking me for personal information that they would already have on file?
Are you confident that you know who is asking for the information?

 Your best protection is to avoid taking immediate action and contact the CRA directly to confirm if in fact you are owed a refund or are required to make a payment.

 Anyone with information on this scam can contact Halton Police Fraud Investigators at 905-825-4747 ext. 8739 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

 

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1 comment to If it looks too good to be true – it usually isn’t – scam artists pretending to be the government.

  • Susan Lewis

    Good timing! Last week I received a letter from Service Canada in Scarborough regarding my C.P.P. and my survivor’s pension. The letter said they had underpaid me in years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and they would reimburse me shortly. The letter also said the original payments were based on interim information and have now been recalculated since they have received official info from the Canada Revenue Agency.

    If I disagree with their decision, I have 90 days to write them and I’m asked to include my name, address and Client identification Number which is also included in the letter. They suggest I send this info by registered mail. However, they also included a 1-800 number to call. Of course I don`t disagree with getting a refund so I don`t have to give anybody any info.

    Just for the halibut, I did phone the 1-800 number and I went through a bunch of options and ended up back where I started without ever having the option of speaking to someone. Now that`s a legitimate Canadian Government phone number. Anyway. if I really did want to find out more about this, I would just phone my M.P. and ask him to find out for me. That’s one of the things your M.P. office does.

    A question I did ask myself was, why did it take 5 years to calculate my C.P.P.?