With tax season looming, scams related to Revenue Canada are appearing.
Kimberley senior Donna Stoiber received a suspicious email last week and after speaking to the RCMP, she wants to warn others.
“I received an email from Revenue Canada statng they wanted to deposit $400 into my account.”
Stoiber says she was immediately suspicious and didn’t click on the link, but she does feel that it looked real enough that she should warn others not to respond to it.
These type of scams are cslled phishing, as the sender is trying to access your personal information.
Per the RCMP website:
Phishing is a general term for e-mails, text messages and websites fabricated and sent by criminals and designed to look like they come from well-known and trusted businesses, financial institutions and government agencies in an attempt to collect personal, financial and sensitive information. It’s also known as brand spoofing.
Facts
Characteristics
The content of a phishing e-mail or text message is intended to trigger a quick reaction from you. It can use upsetting or exciting information, demand an urgent response or employe a false pretense or statement. Phishing messages are normally not personalized.
Typically, phishing messages will ask you to “update”, “validate”, or “confirm” your account information or face dire consequences. They might even ask you to make a phone call.
Often, the message or website includes official-looking logos and other identifying information taken directly from legitimate websites. Government, financialinstitutions and online payment services are common targets of brand spoofing.
RCMP also suggest that you report the scam to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or the institution it appears to be from.
If you received one of these suspicious e-mails and you unwittingly provided personal information or financial information, follow these steps:
Step 1 - Contact your bank/financial institution or credit card company
Step 2 - Contact your credit bureau and have fraud alerts placed on your credit reports:
Equifax Canada
Toll free: 1-800-465-7166
TransUnion Canada
Toll free: 1-877-525-3823
Step 3 - Contact your local police
Step 4 - Always report phishing. If you have responded to one of these suspicious e-mails, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre