The CRA tax-refund text scam

What the scam looks like

You get a text or email that appears to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It says a tax refund is waiting for you - or, in the scarier version, that you owe money and could face arrest or a frozen account if you don't pay right away. There's a link to "claim your refund" or "settle your balance," and the page asks for your SIN, date of birth, address, and banking or card details.

The CRA does not text or email links to claim refunds, and it never threatens arrest over a payment. The goal is to harvest the personal and banking information criminals need to steal your identity or your money.

Red flags

• A text or email "from the CRA" with a link to claim a refund or pay a balance.
• A request for your SIN, banking details, or card number on the linked page.
• Threats - arrest, deportation, a frozen account - and pressure to act right now.
• Demands to pay with gift cards, e-transfer, or cryptocurrency. No real agency does this.

What to do

• Don't click the link and don't reply. The CRA contacts you through My Account on canada.ca, by mail, or by phone - not texted links.
• Check your real balance by logging in at canada.ca yourself (type the address; don't follow the message).
• Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501), then delete it.
• Not sure about a text? Paste it into our scam-text checker below.