CRA Issues Fraud Alert

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is warning taxpayers that fraudulent emails have been circulating with increasing frequency lately requesting personal information.

Many people have been induced into providing such information because the scammers purport to require it for the purposes of tax refunds and benefits.

Did you know CRA will never do the following?

• Request personal information of any kind from a taxpayer by email.
• Divulge taxpayer information to another person unless formal authorization is provided by the taxpayer.
• Leave any personal information on an answering machine.

It is approaching tax time and scammers and fraudsters have come out to play. The CRA has provided examples of fraudulent letters, emails, and online refund forms on their website and asks if you have responded to a fraudulent communication and have become a victim of fraud, to contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by email at info@antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Tax and financial advisors can help by making their clients aware of these remedies.