With tax time right around the corner, scammers are upping their game and are hoping to trick Albertans out of their hard-earned money.
The RCMP is warning of an email phishing scam as well as a phone scam that is making the circuit in Alberta.
In the emails, which appear at first glance to be legitimate, the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) claims the target of the scam has a refund waiting for them. To secure the refund, the target is instructed to click on a link, which takes them to a website that also appears to be legitimate. The website instructs the target to fill in a form, which gathers sensitive information including name, social security number, phone numbers and mother's maiden name.
The phone scam is much the same, with the caller identifying themselves as being an employee with the CRA. They tell the target that their file is incomplete and work to garner sensitive, personal information again.
In a press release, the CRA noted people should be "vigilant when they receive, either by telephone, mail, text message or email, communication that claims to be from the CRA requesting personal information such as a social insurance number, credit card number, bank account number or passport number."
The CRA warns that scammers do at times resort to "threatening or coercive language," sometimes threatening arrest or a criminal language over a fictitious debt.
If you receive any communication from the CRA stating you owe money or are in line for a refund, you can verify that by going to the CRA website at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/myaccount. The CRA will never send out emails with links in them unless otherwise requested to do so during a phone call with a client.
If you receive one of these calls or emails, you can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at www.phonebusters.com or by phoning 1-888-495-8501. If you believe you've been tricked into releasing private information, you should phone the Stettler RCMP at 403-742-3382. If you believe your Social Insurance Number has been stolen, you should contact Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218.