Quick heads-up: the Canada Revenue Agency will not send you unsolicited text messages about your taxes, refunds, credits, or payments. If you get a text with a link asking you to click or share info, it’s almost certainly not from the CRA. Scammers do this to trick you into giving up personal details.
The CRA may send a text only if you signed up for multi-factor authentication and are expecting a one-time code.
Have you seen any sketchy CRA-style texts or emails this tax season? What did you do next?
Spot on. These scammers aren’t just after a quick buck, they’re after your identity, which can seriously mess with your credit score if they get a hold of your SIN.
Thanks for the heads-up! I actually got a text yesterday about a ‘carbon rebate’ that looked so real until I saw the weird URL. I just blocked the number and deleted it immediately. It’s wild how pushy they’ve been getting this year.
It’s incredibly important to recognize these scams. I’ve used some of the scam messages to educate my family about what to watch out for when receiving unsolicited texts or emails.
These scams are super easy to fall for. Scammers have gotten good at finding ways to make them look legit, and they can scrub for information that at first glance seems legitimate. Knowing CRA’s policies and communication methods is very important. Also, knowing your CRA account access, and checking your account for important updates and messages is a great safe guard!
