CRA scam: how to spot fake Canada Revenue Agency calls and texts

The short version

Hang up. Do not click the link. Do not read a code aloud. Do not send Interac, gift cards, or Bitcoin. If you already shared a password or card number, call your bank from the number on the back of your card, then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

The real CRA will not pay you by Interac e-Transfer, will not demand gift cards, and will not ask for your debit-card PIN. You can always look up a real CRA number yourself and call back. Do not use a number the caller just gave you.

What these scams usually look like

The story changes. The pressure does not. Common Canadian versions include:

• A text or email about a tax refund or CERB / benefit “overpayment” with a link to claim it.
• A call that you owe money and will be arrested today unless you pay by Interac, gift cards, or crypto.
• A Google ad or first search result that looks like CRA My Account, then asks for your SIN plus debit card number and ATM PIN.
• A follow-up that moves the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram for an “extra payment for seniors.”

None of this is how the CRA actually collects tax or pays refunds. A surprise “you won money from the government” message is a reason to slow down, not to tap a link.

What the real CRA does not do

Write these down and keep them on the fridge if that helps. The real agency:

• Does not send Interac e-Transfers for refunds or ask you to click a link to “accept” government money.
• Does not threaten arrest, deportation, or a warrant in a text, email, or robocall.
• Does not ask for your ATM PIN, a one-time passcode read aloud, or remote access to your phone.
• Does not demand payment with gift cards, Bitcoin, or a money transfer to a person you have never met.

If you already talked or clicked

Stop. Do not send more money “to fix it.” If you typed a bank password on a page, call the bank immediately and say you may have given access to a scammer. If you shared a SIN, note the date and watch CRA My Account you already use. Open it from a bookmark or by typing canada.ca yourself, never from the message.

Tell a trusted family member. Shame is what scammers count on. A second pair of eyes is part of the defence.

How Guardian Circle helps

Guardian Circle is an Android app for the person who gets the calls and texts, plus a caregiver account for family. Unknown calls can be screened. High-confidence scam talk can be hung up. Unknown texts and email previews can be checked. You get an alert in everyday words, not a raw dump of their inbox.

It does not replace your bank or the CRA. It does not catch every lie. It is there so a parent is not alone with a convincing caller, and so you hear about it while there is still time to talk.

Common questions

Does the CRA ever text you?

The CRA may send some notices, but a surprise refund link, an arrest threat, or a request for your PIN is not how they work. If you are unsure, sign in to CRA My Account you already set up, or call a number from a letter you already have.

I got a CRA Interac refund. Is that real?

No. The CRA does not pay refunds by Interac e-Transfer. Treat that message as a scam. Do not click, and do not “accept” money you were not expecting from the government.

Can Guardian Circle stop a CRA scam call?

When call protection is on, it can listen for classic CRA-scam talk and hang up a high-confidence scam. Family still gets an alert. Known contacts are left alone if that setting is on. No app is perfect, so keep the household rules too: hang up and call back on a number you looked up.

Official sites

For government or Interac rules, use their own pages. We wrote this guide in our words. We did not copy theirs.

• Canada Revenue Agency (canada.ca)
• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

More help

• Interac fraud. Fake deposit links, Marketplace “I’ll pay now,” and how real Interac messages look.
• Protect parents from phone scams. Household rules, cloned voices, and a five-minute setup on their Android.