The Canada Revenue Agency is spreading awareness of tricks scammers use to target seniors.
“If its something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
That’s the first instinct CRA spokesperson Gurpreet Plaha recommends developing.
“If someone contacts you unexpectedly, that’s a telltale sign. They create a sense of urgency, or asking you to provide something right away and sometimes in unusual ways like bitcoins or gift cards,” she explained.
Common scams CRA is seeing right now include text messages about the Climate Action Incentive Payment, texts or emails to those impacted by emergencies or disasters, and texts or emails claiming to be from CRA about the Grocery Rebate.
“Being cybersmart has become so essential these days, like not clicking on links in emails or text messages,” Plaha commented.
Ultimately, she said never be afraid to say “no.”
“If somebody’s pressuring you, you can always hang up to protect your information and then give us [at CRA] a call.”
Plaha also recommends changing passwords periodically.
“Knowledge is power, so you can be your own superhero by protecting your own information,” she said.
She cautioned that the scammers are aware of everything being used and offered in Canada for taxes, and that they take advantage of it.
“In your CRA account you can see all the benefits and credits that are coming your way, so if you think climate action is something that you’re not eligible for but you get a text about it, you know its a scam. Or if you’ve already received a cheque, you can know a message offering a refund is a scam – we aren’t going to send it out again,” Plaha said.
Everyone works hard throughout their life for their money, she noted.
“Don’t let the scammers get their hands on it.”
In the end, if in doubt, always give CRA a call, especially if any information was given to a scammer, Plaha added.
“We can put security measures on your account so that the scammers can’t get any information from our systems if they had the password to access it.”
People can stay up-to-date on latest scam alerts on the federal government’s website at canada.ca. The CRA can be contacted at 1-800-959-8281.
More information on types of taxable income when age 65 years or older can be found at canada.ca.
SEE ALSO: Spring 2024 Seniors Directory
