Cyber Security During Tax Season

It’s that time of year again… tax season!

The threat of identity theft exists all year long, but increases during tax season when scammers ramp up attacks. If successful, criminals can open accounts and file fraudulent tax returns in your name, leaving you on a long, difficult path to recovery.

Here are some tips to help keep you safe this tax season:

• Avoiding identification theft begins by ensuring that private information remains private. That means staying alert for phishing attacks that attempt to bait you into clicking on malicious links and using your cybersecurity skills in day-to-day operations.
• During tax season, remember that tax collectors won’t call you, email you, or text you to ask for a credit card payment for overdue taxes. Scammers will do anything they can to convince their targets to reveal confidential information, including posing as government entities, co-workers, friends, and family members.
• If possible, file your taxes early to get a jump on any criminals that might have obtained your personal information. If someone has stolen your identity and files a tax return in your name to claim a refund, you will run into trouble when you submit your actual information.

Here’s a link to a news story about an individual impersonating the CRA to get personal information from the victim: Burnaby teen saves grandma from dirty CRA scam caller – Burnaby Now.

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