Scammers use phishing and identity theft to get your personal information or trick you into giving them access to your file. If a message you received seems unusual or dubious, here are some good habits to adopt.

1. Make sure the message is authentic

Ask yourself the following questions.

Your account and communications with Revenu Québec

• Did I sign up for My Account for individuals?
• Did I get a text message from Revenu Québec with a link?
• Are my email address and cell number in my My Account for individuals profile? Are they up to date?
• Did I consent to Revenu Québec sending documents online only in My Account for individuals? Did I call or write to Revenu Québec about something that might explain why I would receive a secure email?

Your financial or tax situation

• Am I expecting a refund or some other sum of money from Revenu Québec (for example, an income tax or consumption tax refund, a support payment, an amount related to unclaimed property)?
• Do I owe Revenu Québec any money? Do I owe money under a program administered by Revenu Québec (for example, the support payment collection program)?
• Did I apply for advance payments of a tax credit?
• Am I expecting a notice of assessment or determination?

Your personal information

• Did I change my banking information recently?
• Is the person asking for information that Revenu Québec already has?

Signs of fraud

• Does the situation sound too good to be true?
• Am I being asked to act quickly or provide information without being able to check things out?

2. Don't click, reply or call

If an email, text message or phone call seems suspicious:

• Don't click on any links.
• Don't open any attachments.
• Don't reply to the message.
• Don't call a number you can't confirm.

These four habits will help keep scammers from getting your personal information.

3. Don't give out any information

Never give any personal information unless you're sure we're the ones asking for it, especially if it concerns your financial, banking or tax situation. And never share your access codes or passwords. 

If you want to grant an authorization or a power of attorney to a designated person, see Authorization or Power of Attorney.

4. Double-check our practices

Make sure the request really came from us and was made through the proper channels. When in doubt, ask for the person's phone number to call back. This will give you time to check.

Do not trust the phone numbers, email addresses or web addresses in a suspicious communication. Check to see if they are legitimate. To learn more, see How to Tell if a Message Is Really From Revenu Québec.

To find out whether we actually use the payment method the person is proposing, click Payment Options.

If the message turns out to be fraudulent, see What To Do in Case of Phishing or Identity Theft.