Canada Revenue Agency Warns Lower Mainland Businessmen against Phishing Scam

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a warning for businessmen around Lower Mainland (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) about a new e-mail scam.

As per the statement given by an e-mail recipient, the e-mail contains a form which seems as if it were sent by the Canada Revenue Agency.

Moreover, the scam e-mail contains a link besides text which takes the recipient to the real website of the revenue agency.

However, Ravinder Dhami, Communication Advisor, CRA, said that the e-mail circulating on the web was bogus and to deceive businessmen.

Dhami further added that the CRA would not ask people to give their personal information by e-mail, as reported by the news1130 on August 3, 2009.

Apart from the personal information, the scam e-mail asks for social insurance, bank account, passport numbers and credit cards from the taxpayers.

Citing the above incident as an example, security experts state that the scammers have tried to make the e-mail looks more authentic and legitimate so that the recipients easily trust it and click on the embedded link that pretends to take to the real website of CRA.

Meanwhile, the CRA has posted a number of red flags that could be used by taxpayers as standards for distinguishing between a legitimate and fake e-mail. Although this step seems very small to prevent taxpayers from becoming victims of scammers, it could be very helpful for people willing to know the difference between a lawful and fake e-mail.

In addition, the CRA recommends that taxpayers need to suspect e-mails relating to refund and ask some question themselves. For instance - Am I really eligible to get the additional money from the CRA? Is the person requesting the information not include my tax return? Why does the CRA asking for the information which already has with it? How does the requester get the e-mail address? Do I know the person looking for information?

The CRA has asked the e-mail recipient to inform its officials about the fake e-mail so that necessary action could be taken against cyber criminals like phishers and spammers.

Related article: Canada - A Major Stimulator of Spam, Says Cisco

» SPAMfighter News - 8/19/2009