Tax Time Refund RIP-OFF:
Island RCMP have received numerous reports of a scam that at first sight looks to be a money saver and give you a possible refund from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This scam is timed to coincide with tax time preparation and income tax packages.
The message is forwarded via e-mail and falsely advises the recipient that they are entitled to a tax refund, specifies an amount, or requests information to process a purported refund. The fraudster then asks for personal information including; credit card numbers, Social Insurance Number, date of birth, full name, and the tax amount of their returns. This information is requested either by replying to the email or following an embedded link to a counterfeit CRA website.
This type of scam is called a 'phishing' scam because the fraudster is 'phishing' for your personal or financial information. The request has a sense of urgency and the recipient is requested to provide this information to receive the refund. No legitimate CRA correspondence will be sent out via un-solicited e-mail or phone calls requesting you provide this personal information. The threat to Canadians is high, with this information attackers can very easily steal the victim's legitimate tax refund or use the victim’s personal information for other criminal purposes.
RCMP Cpl. Troy MacLean advises, “Should you receive this type of scam via e-mail or phone call, I suggest you delete the e-mail or terminate the call and contact CRA directly to confirm if you are indeed entitled to a refund.”
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