Skip to content

Beware of tax time scam

Local couple doesn't want anyone to fall victim

 It’s tax time again and while local accountants are sharpening up their pencils in preparation, they aren’t the only ones doing so.

There are other forces at work at this time of year, as one Qualicum Beach couple discovered.

Sharon Marcus, co-owner of Yesterday’s Child Antiques in Qualicum Beach, said she received an e-mail that said it was from Revenue Canada — but it really wasn’t.

The e-mail said the Canada Revenue Agency had calculated the couple’s fiscal activity and determined they were eligible to receive a tax refund of $386. All they had to do to claim their refund was to click on a link and provide a bit of information.

“Please submit the tax refund and allow us three to nine days in order to process it, the e-mail said. “A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline. To access the form for your tax refund, please click here.”

“I know it’s a fraud,” Marcus said. “We get e-mails where it says we’ve inherited millions, but this was different. I don’t want other people to fall for it.”

She was right.

The Canada Revenue Agency is well aware of the scam.

“The message is not from the Canada Revenue Agency and the supposed tax refund does not exist. 

“In fact, the message is a scam designed to trick recipients into divulging their personal information to Internet criminals,” they say on their website. 

“Recipients who fall for the ruse and click on the link will be taken to a bogus website designed to resemble a genuine Canada Revenue Agency web page. Once on the bogus page, the recipient will be asked to provide sensitive financial information such as credit card numbers and bank account details.”

The financial information submitted on the fake tax refund form can then be collected by scammers and used for fraud and identity theft. 

 news@pqbnews.com