Tax season brings its share of phishing scams. SMS, calls, emails on behalf of Canada Revenue Agency or Revenu Québec. Scammers will try to steal your personal information through various tricks: unpaid taxes, incomplete files, etc. Why talk about it? Because there are still those who get caught.

Last December, it was the infamous $600 in inflationary aid that scammers tried to trick citizens with. Surely you have received an SMS or an email asking you to click on a link to receive this sum.

Just yesterday I saw the fraudulent advertisement on TikTok in the name of Nathalie Simard selling so-called magical weight loss products. And what about the grandparent scam! It’s been around for a few years, but remains highly effective. In 2022, it caused $732,000 in losses and Quebec was the third most affected province.

Sextortion, ransomware, enticing business propositions, fake Immigration Canada websites, fake inheritances or contests won, love stories that end in a fishtail, etc. There is no limit to the scammers’ imagination and creativity.

The basics of prevention

The first principle that applies if you do not want to fall into the hands of these scammers: NEVER GIVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. Organizations that have your information will certainly not contact you to ask for it, and even if they do, you are under no obligation to respond. To secure your transactions, it is best to contact them and not the other way around.

Of course, never click on links, even if they come from God Himself. Don’t give fake technicians access to your computer or any other device, even if they tell you they have a virus. Check with your service companies first.

And love, let’s talk about it! If someone declares their love for you, say they have a crush, and is asking you for money urgently for all sorts of reasons, when you’ve never met them and they’re encouraging you to keep your relationship a secret…at least ask yourself a few questions .

shame and silence

In 2022, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center received 90,137 reports and identified 56,352 victims. The financial damage is estimated at $530 million.

However, these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. The center estimates that it receives few reports compared to the actual fraud crime. Very often shame gnaws at the victims. The humiliation of being betrayed. The fear of being taken for an idiot. Always this prejudice that only the naive get caught while we are all at risk.

Reporting becomes a dilemma. However, the scammers improve and thrive thanks to the silence of the victims, since denunciation allows their techniques to be better tracked and known.

Incidentally, a report can be made anonymously.

For more informations : www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca