There are many fraud types, including new ones invented daily.
Taxpayers should be vigilant when they receive, either by telephone, mail, text message or email, a fraudulent communication that claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requesting personal information such as a social insurance number, credit card number, bank account number, or passport number.

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
• call you to begin an audit process

The CRA will never

• ask for information about your passport, health card, or driver’s license
• 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

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 under any circumstance. If a taxpayer receives text or instant messages claiming to be from the CRA, they are scams!

When in doubt, ask yourself

• Why is the caller pressuring me to act immediately? Am I certain the caller is a CRA employee?
• Did I file my tax return on time? Have I received a notice of assessment or reassessment saying I owe tax?
• Have I received written communication from the CRA by email or mail about the subject of the call?
• Does the CRA have my most recent contact information, such as my email and address?
• Is the caller asking for information I would not give in my tax return or that is not related to the money I owe the CRA?
• Did I recently send a request to change my business number information?
• Do I have an instalment payment due soon?
• Have I received a statement of account about a government program I owe money to, such as employment insurance or Canada Student Loans?