The Oceanside RCMP say they have received a number of calls from people reporting that they were nearly scammed by fraudsters impersonating the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Oceanside residents reportedly received suspicious emails from someone who claimed to be the Canada Revenue Agency. The e-mail promised a tax refund and asked for personal information to complete the transaction. The Canada Revenue Agency says it does not do the following:
• request personal information of any kind from a taxpayer by e-mail.
• divulge taxpayer information to another person unless formal authorization is provided by the taxpayer.
• leave any personal information on an answering machine.
When in doubt, the CRA suggested you ask yourself the following: Am I expecting additional money from the CRA? Does this sound too good to be true? Is the requester asking for information I would not include with my tax return? Is the requester asking for information I know the CRA already has on file? Am I confident I know who is asking for the information?
If you have responded to a fraudulent communication and have become a victim of fraud, please contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by email at info@antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.
— NEWS Staff/Submitted by Oceanside RCMP
