Scammers imitate the Canada Revenue Agency with calls, texts, emails and even letters. Some promise a refund, others say you owe money and must pay now. You never need to answer on the spot: you can verify through your own CRA account.
What Fake CRA Messages Look Like
- A text or email saying you are entitled to an unexpected tax refund if you provide banking details.
- A message saying you owe money.
- A call demanding you pay right away, or they will report you to the police.
What the CRA Never Does
According to the Competition Bureau, the CRA will never:
- Ask for financial information by email.
- Request personal information such as your SIN by email.
- Use aggressive or threatening language.
- Threaten you with arrest or send police.
- Ask for payment by cryptocurrency, prepaid credit cards or gift cards.
- Use text messages to communicate under any circumstances, according to that page.
Real CRA payments are accepted online, in person or by mail.
How to Verify in 3 Minutes
- Do not click, call back or reply using details in the message.
- Log in to CRA My Account yourself and check for messages or a balance owing.
- Or call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281 and describe what you received.
Got a suspicious PDF, letter or website? Use our Verify a Document or Scam Guide to check it before you act.
If You Already Responded or Paid
- Contact the bank or payment provider you used, right away.
- Report to local police, and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online.
- Ask Equifax and TransUnion for a fraud alert and a free credit report.
- Keep screenshots, phone numbers and receipts.
Full steps are in our Cybercrime Reporting Guide. For a genuine dispute with the CRA, see the CRA & Tax Complaint Guide.
Describe what you received and we will help you report it.
Draft It With Asya →Frequently Asked
Does the CRA ever email or text me?
The Competition Bureau says CRA emails never ask for financial or personal information, and its page says the CRA does not use text messages. If in doubt, verify through My Account instead of the message.
What if the caller knows my SIN or address?
Scammers often have leaked personal details. Knowing your information does not make a caller real. Hang up and verify yourself.
Where do I report a fake CRA contact?
Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501) and, if you lost money, to local police and your bank.
Is a refund link in an email ever legitimate?
Do not use it. Log in to My Account directly to check for any refund.
Checking a CRA message yourself
The safest check is the one you start. Close the message, open a browser and sign in to your CRA My Account the way you normally do. Real notices and any balance owing appear there. If nothing appears, the message was not from the CRA.
If a caller is on the line, you can end the call without explanation. A genuine agency will give you a reference and allow you to call back through a published number. Share the details with older relatives too, because pressure to pay at once is the pattern that works best on people who have not heard it before.
Reporting scam texts to your carrier
Forward unwanted texts to 7726 (SPAM), the reporting number supported by the major wireless carriers, then delete them and block the sender. If you tapped a link, change the password of any account you may have entered and watch your statements closely.
Sources & Verification
Figures and contacts in this article come from official sources:
General information, not legal advice. Details and deadlines can change, so confirm with the agency before acting. For how we verify facts, see the About page.