New email scam announces ‘tax refund’

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myWestman.ca

A new Internet scam that presents itself as a potential income tax refund is making the rounds to seniors’ email inboxes.

This latest scam looks legitimate in every detail and has the potential to fool unsuspecting seniors into giving up their private information to criminals.

Here’s how the scam works:

An official-looking email arrives in your inbox from Revenue Canada instructing you to “Claim your tax refund online.” It explains they “identified an error in the calculation of your tax from the last payment” and it requests you to “please click ‘Get Started’ to claim your refund.”

There is a weblink titled Get Started below the above-mentioned statement. Once you click that link, you are taken to a website page that looks identical to a Canada Revenue Agency webpage; however, it is not part of Canada Revenue Agency.

At the fake website page you are asked to enter your social insurance number, your date of birth, the bogus refund amount and your full name. That information, in the hands of a criminal, can be used to steal your identity.

Seniors who receive an email claiming that you are entitled to a tax refund are advised to not click the link, and to be very suspicious.

For more information on your income tax status, you can contact Canada Revenue Agency by calling 1-800-959-8281 or visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca

Press release