NEWS LIST

The Guardian, Feburary 18, 2010

P.E.I. RCMP has received numerous reports of a scam which, at first sight, looks to be a money saver giving you a possible refund from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This scam is timed to coincide with our Federal/Provincial tax return preparation and the 2009 income tax packages.

The message which is forwarded via e-mail, falsely advises the recipient that they are entitled to a tax refund, specifying the amount, and requesting information to process a purported refund. The fraudster then asks for personal information including; credit card numbers, social Insurance number, date of birth, full name, and the tax amount of their returns. This information is requested either by replying to the e-mail or by following an embedded link to a phoney CRA website.

This type of scam is called a "phishing" scam because the fraudster is "phishing" for your personal or financial information. The request has a sense of urgency and the recipient is requested to provide this information to receive the refund. No legitimate CRA correspondence will be sent out via unsolicited e-mail or phone calls requesting you provide this personal information. The threat to the general public is high because, with this information, fraudsters can easily steal the victim's legitimate tax refund or use the victim's personal information for other criminal purposes.

Should you receive this type of scam via e-mail or phone call, S/Sgt. Dene Williamson advises you to delete the e-mail or terminate the phone call and contact CRA directly to confirm whether or not you are in fact entitled to a refund. CRA has a website advising of these scams at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whtsnw/tms/frdlt-eng.html. Any suspicious e-mails or phone calls can be forwarded directly to Phonebutsters by computer at info@phonebusters.com or by phone, toll free, at 1-888-495-8501. S/Sgt. Williamson reminds the public that, "in most cases where agencies contact you out of the blue and advise that you may be entitled to some money, it is probably not the case." Remember the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."