SnowbirdAlert Don’t fall for the latest online shopping scam (NC) Due to lockdowns and public health restrictions, Canadians are relying on online shopping more than ever. However, this puts us at greater risk of being targeted by fraudsters. Even if you’ve shopped online for years, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest tricks, as scammers’ techniques evolve. In recent years, they’ve gone from asking for wire transfers, banking details and ferreting out your credit card number to going after gift cards, cryptocurrency and access to your online bank accounts. How to differentiate between a real CRA call and ascam (NC) Many of us have heard of scammers pretending to be from the Canada Revenue Agency. You may have even received a call or e-mail yourself. But how do you know what you can trust? Avoiding this common scam is easier when you know what the agency will and won’t do. The agency will never threaten you with immediate arrest or jail for a tax debt, and never uses text or instant messaging to communicate about taxes. It will never demand that you settle a tax debt by buying gift cards or prepaid credit cards, or using cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, or offer to pay you a refund by e-transfer. Remain vigilant when you receive communication from someone claiming to be from the CRA, especially when asked for personal information such as a social insurance, credit card, bank account or passport number. If you are unsure as to whether or not the person on the phone is a legitimate agency employee, ask for the agent’s phone number and badge number and call 1-800-959-8281 to validate the caller. If you receive a call demanding immediate payment, take time to think it over. If you believe that it was legitimate, you can check the status of your account online. If you use online or telephone services, you can further protect yourself by keeping your access codes, user ID, passwords and PINs secret, and changing them frequently. Enabling “e-mail notifications” for online CRA accounts will notify you by e-mail of any changes, warning you of potentially fraudulent activity. Finally, suspicious phone calls or messages can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or by telephone. If you think that you have fallen victim to a scam, contact your local police. Find more information at canada.ca/taxes. Source: www.newscanada.com Here are some key tips to avoid falling prey to scammers when shopping online: ▶▶Do your research and comparison shop, so that you have a sense of realistic pricing ▶▶Read the terms and conditions, as well as refund and return policies ▶▶Use your internet browser’s ad blocker to hide sponsored ads and pop-ups ▶▶Request a full refund if your order is unavailable or can’t be fulfilled at the advertised price ▶▶Keep any records of e-mail confirmations and customer service conversations ▶▶Review your credit card and bank statements carefully for recurring or unknown charges ▶▶Remember that if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is ▶▶Take online reviews with a grain of salt, and consult multiple sources for feedback If you think that you’ve been a victim of fraud, contacted by a scammer or misled by an online ad or marketing tactic, report it to the Competition Bureau at competitionbureau.gc.ca. 8 | www.snowbirds.org
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