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If you live in Canada or have recently moved here, you must have definitely gotten a few scam calls. These scams seem so real that it is very easy to become a victim of this fraud.

Most scams pretend to be from government services to gain your personal and financial information. These callers want to steal your identity and take your money. A lot of people are still confused if a call they received is legit or a scam.

However, with some knowledge, you can easily identify these scams. So, if you want to know more about it, this article is for you. We have created a list of the most common scams so that you know how to deal with them.

5 Most Common Scams In Canada

1. CRA Official

One of the most common scam calls is where someone impersonates a Canada Revenue Agency official. These people demand payments from you. They accept any form of payment like cryptocurrency, Interac e-transfer, pre-paid credit cards, or gift cards. Moreover, often they threaten you with a police arrest. Also, they pressure you to act immediately.

Remember that CRA will never ask you for any money over the phone. Also, CRA doesn’t pressure you to act immediately. If you are in a doubt about the call, just hang up and double-check with CRA.

2. Service Canada

Another prevalent scam is where someone pretends to be calling from Service Canada. The caller will ask for your personal information. This includes your name, phone number, date of birth, bank account number, and so on.

Service Canada rarely contacts. Also, if they do, they do it through ways you’ve signed up for. However, this is very rare and it is usually for delivering Government of Canada services.

If you are in doubt, you should just hang up. Call up 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232). Confirm if someone from Service Canada tried to call you.

3. CBSA Officials

One more common scam is where people calling claim to be from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). These people will ask you for your SIN or credit number details. Often, they demand money by phone, email, or text.

Most of the callers tell you that you need to pay duties or taxes on a package. Keep in mind that in the case of packages, the mail carrier or courier company will get in touch with you directly.

4. Targeting Newcomers

If you are a newcomer to Canada, there are a few scams that are specifically targeted at you. Newcomers often get emails or phone calls asking for personal information. Scammers pretend to be from Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

These calls ask you to pay fines. Also, they threaten to arrest you or even deport you. Remember, IRCC never threatens you with any kind of arrest or violence.

5. Refund Scams

Lastly, another common scam is via an email or call telling you that you will be getting a refund or some government benefit. They ask for your bank details so that they can deposit money.

Once you give your banking information, they can misuse it. Also, sometimes it may appear like you received a deposit even when you don’t. In these cases, they ask you to pay the money back.

Never respond to unsolicited emails or phone calls without first verifying the source.

It is always important to stay vigilant. And, if you do become the victim of a scam or fraud, you can report it to Canada’s Anti-Fraud Centre.