Police Warned Charlottetown Citizens about Tax Refund Scam E-mail

A warning has been issued to citizens of Charlottetown (Canada) that they must avoid replying to an e-mail presently circulating on the Internet. The e-mail indicates that the Canada Revenue Agency, which reviewed the recipient's fiscal operations, has figured out that he is entitled to a tax rebate, but it is part of a phishing scam.

The e-mail that claims a projected refund of $386 is bogus. According to police, bogus e-mails represent yet another effort of scammers to steal personal data from unsuspecting Canadians.

The e-mail also shows a hyperlink that takes the recipient to a web page containing a form that needs to be completed to get the alleged 'refund' from Ottawa. Although the form appears genuine, it is actually just the opposite as it seeks the user's name, birth date and social security number. All these details could be used by criminals for stealing identities.

Fraudsters spend a great deal to time in creating sites that imitate the actual ones. The sites that have been imitated most recently are of Canada Revenue, some important banks, Pay Pal and Ebay. These fraudulent websites as well as bogus e-mails are employed to deceive users into giving away their password, financial or other personal data.

The e-mails frequently seek details like payment card numbers, social insurance details, bank account details and passwords, which are later used for fraudulent activities. Cyber criminals, who engaged in brand spoofing, aim to convince recipients that the information being requested is from a genuine source. In reality, the attempt is to maliciously gather consumers' information to commit fraud.

An official representing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's commercial crime division in Charlottetown said they had received a call from someone on the island inquiring about the scam. This and other scams fundamentally focus on making money, according to police.

Canada Revenue Service said that it never sends notifications to people about refunds over e-mail nor they ask for their updated private information or their confidential PIN via the same means. According to the agency, cyber criminals frequently attack citizens; therefore, they should always remain vigilant of online scams.

Related article: Police Arrests Six Suspects Associated With TJX Credit Scam

» SPAMfighter News - 1/24/2009