Merritt Mounties warning of increased CRA scams

The Merritt RCMP are warning the public of a recent increase of CRA scams.

“Over the past couple of weeks the Merritt RCMP has a seen a rise in phone and e-mail scams where people are pretending to be the Canada Revenue Agency. We want to remind the public to remain vigilant during tax season and to be cautious when giving out personal information over the phone,” wrote Sgt. Josh Roda.

By phone

The CRA may

• verify your identity by asking for personal information such as your full name, date of birth, address and account, or social insurance number
• ask for details about your account, in the case of a business enquiry
• contact individuals or businesses about a tax debt
• call you to begin an audit process
• call you to offer free tax help for your small business
• call your organization or association to offer support in helping your clients access benefits and credits

The CRA will never

• demand immediate payment by Interac e-transfer, bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or others
• use aggressive language or threaten you with arrest or sending the police
• leave voicemails that are threatening or give personal or financial information

By email

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
• email you a link to a CRA webpage, form, or publication that you ask for during a telephone call or a meeting with an agent (this is the only case where the CRA will send an email containing links)

The CRA will never

• give or ask for personal or financial information by email and ask you to click on a link
• email you a link asking you to 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

By mail

The CRA may

• ask for financial information such as the name of your bank and its location
• send you a notice of assessment or reassessment
• ask you to pay an amount you owe through any of the CRA’s payment options
• take legal action to recover the money you owe, if you refuse to pay your debt
• write to you to begin an audit process
• write to you to offer free tax help for your small business

The CRA will never

• set up a meeting with you in a public place to take a payment
• 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

By text messages/instant messaging

The CRA never uses text messages or instant messaging such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to communicate with taxpayers about tax-related issues under any circumstance. If a taxpayer receives text or instant messages claiming to be from the CRA, they are scams!