CRA Tax Refund Email Scam — How Canadians Can Spot the Fraud
You received an email that looks like it's from the Canada Revenue Agency about a tax refund or account issue. It may ask you to click a link or provide your SIN. The CRA does not send refund notifications by email. This is one of the most common scams in Canada.
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How This Scam Works
Critical Risk — Common Canadian Tax Scam
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) does not send refund notifications by email and never asks for personal information through email links.
This scam email claims to be from the CRA and tells you that you are entitled to a tax refund. It asks you to click a link and provide your Social Insurance Number (SIN), banking details, or other personal information to claim the refund. Some versions may even mimic the CRA's My Account portal.
The CRA communicates about tax matters through your CRA My Account, by phone, or by mail — never by email with links to enter sensitive information.
Red Flags
- Claims to be from the CRA but email address is not @cra-arc.gc.ca
- Asks for your SIN, banking information, or credit card details
- Includes a link to a website that is not canada.ca
- Promises a specific refund amount to entice you to click
- Contains urgent language about deadlines for claiming your refund
What You Should Do
What To Do
- Do not click any links in the email
- Do not provide your SIN or banking details
- Log in to your CRA My Account directly at canada.ca/my-cra-account
- Report the email to CRA through their official scam reporting page at canada.ca
- Delete the email from your inbox
Sources
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) — Annual Reports
- CRA — Recognize a scam: The CRA does not send refund notifications by email