Stay alert for scammers at tax time

With tax season approaching, there are increased risks of falling victim to fraud and scammers who illegally impersonate government agencies, such as Canada Revenue Agency, to steal personal information or money from Canadians.

To avoid falling victim to these costly and violating scams, it is important to react with caution and awareness when strangers ask for your personal information over the phone, by email, or by text.

Many Canadians have experienced the confusion, frustration, and fear of receiving a scam call or message. Scammers have impersonated the Canadian Border Services Agency, Canada Revenue Agency, Winnipeg Police Service, and the RCMP. Unfortunately, some have been successful and have stolen millions of dollars from Canadians. Many Canadians have also fallen victim to identity theft.

Here are a few points from the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre on how you can protect yourself from scammers:

• Don’t be afraid to say no – Do not be intimidated by emotional pleas or high-pressure methods. Often, scammers will seem threatening or tell you that you need to send them money right away. Remember that you can hang up the phone at any time.

• Do your research – It is always a good idea to confirm that you are dealing with a legitimate organization or government agency before you give out any personal information or act on what someone tells you over the phone. For example, you can verify if a Canadian charity is registered and legitimate by calling and verifying the charity’s information with the Canada Revenue Agency. If the call is related to your credit card, you can confirm the legitimacy of the call by calling the phone number on the back of your credit card.

• Do not give out personal information – Information like your name, birthdate, Social Insurance Number (SIN), or banking information should not be given out over the phone, in text, or email to someone who you do not know.

• Watch out for spoofing – Spoofing is when someone tries to dishonestly imitate another person or organization. Scammers have gotten very good at misleading victims to convince them they are speaking to, or corresponding with, a valid business or organization. In 2021 the phone number of the RCMP detachment in London, Ont., was ‘spoofed’ and used by the callers to coerce victims into providing personal information such as their social insurance numbers. Never assume that the phone number on your call display is accurate – it could be that a scammer is spoofing the number and manipulating it to appear like a legitimate contact.

To learn more, you can visit the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre at antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-8501 to report fraud and find out more information.

If you think you may be a victim of fraud, please contact the Winnipeg Police Service.

As always, constituents are welcome to contact my office at 204-984-6322 if they have questions or want to share their concerns related to federal issues.

Raquel Dancho
Kildonan-St. Paul constituency report

Raquel Dancho is the Conservative MP for Kildonan-St. Paul.

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