CRA Cautions Canadian Taxpayers about Fraudulent E-mail

CRA has issued an alert to taxpaying people across the country that a fraudulent, phishing e-mail is presently doing the rounds. Ctvbc.ctv.ca published this on December 14, 2011.

Displaying the caption "Revenue Canada Software," the fake electronic mail advises the recipient for loading an application onto his PC, which will apparently fine-tune the reporting of income tax for people paying taxes in Canada.

Also according to the e-mail, the application will be useful for filing the returns of 2011.

Meanwhile, the e-mail's text directs the recipient for following a given video link and knowing the way for loading the simple software, while a synopsis of the tax software and USB drive pertaining to the custom Revenue Canada is provided, it states.

But, Philippe Brideau Spokesperson of CRA says that the e-mail isn't from the agency. Further, CRA doesn't communicate with people paying taxes to provide personal information over electronic mail, he continued. Ctvbc.ctv.ca reported this. The e-mail quite resembles the phishing campaigns CRA has been observing nationwide, Brideau notes.

Worryingly, the danger from such campaigns is pretty large for the common man as with the related sensitive details, online-scammers can capture the victim's private data to serve other criminal objectives, a practice called "identity theft."

CRA states that any taxpayer who gets an e-mail of this kind should delete the message while directly contact the agency for verifying the e-mail's authenticity. CRA runs an Internet site, which gives suggestions about these scams. Thus, anybody receiving a dubious e-mail can forward it at info@antifraudcenter.ca, alternatively speak at the hotline number of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center and get more information regarding the scam e-mail.

Importantly, Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Staff Sgt. Dene Williamson said that people should remember that generally where CRA or other agencies unexpectedly contacted anyone, they should know that the incident was one of fraud. Theguardian.pe.ca reported this during the 1st-week of December 2011.

Eventually, in a similar case, during June 2011, CRA recommended people for staying vigilant about scam e-mails, which posed as notification to taxpayers regarding a complaint filed against them with the tax-agency that there were clues of instances related to tax-evasion.

Related article: Car SatNav Gives Another Opportunity to Hackers

» SPAMfighter News - 12/24/2011