Ontario Provincial Police – East Region: Protect Yourself from Tax Fraud

Eastern Ontario – As Canadians begin preparing their 2025 tax returns CRA impersonation scams start to increase, especially fake emails, texts, and phone calls designed to steal your personal or financial information.

The real CRA will never:

❌ Send refunds by e transfer or text
❌ Ask for SINs, banking info, or passport numbers by email or phone
❌ Threaten arrest or use aggressive language
❌ Ask for payment via cryptocurrency, gift cards, or e transfer

Scammers may use:

• Phishing emails/texts claiming you must “claim your refund” or “update your account”
• Aggressive phone calls/texts demanding immediate payment or threatening arrest
• Fake CRA websites with unusual web addresses that mimic the real login pages

How to protect yourself:

• Don’t click suspicious links
• Verify messages by contacting the CRA directly
• Check website URLs carefully
• Monitor your CRA “MyAccount” for unusual activity
• Report scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre