How to Prevent Phishing and Identity Theft
The consequences of phishing and identity theft can be very costly, as scammers can use your name, without your knowledge, in dealings with financial institutions and government departments and bodies.
If you receive a communication that seems suspicious, be on your guard.
Consider the legitimacy of the request
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Did I sign up for My Account for individuals?
- Did I change my banking information recently?
- Did I enter my email address and cell phone number (for texts) in my communication preferences 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?
- 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)?
- Is the person asking for information that Revenu Québec already has on file?
- Did I apply for advance payments of a tax credit?
- Am I expecting a notice of assessment or determination?
- Did I agree to have Revenu Québec send all communications to my My Account inbox?
- Does the situation sound too good to be true?
Do not click or reply
If you think a scammer has sent you a fraudulent email or text, do not reply or click on any link or attachment. By doing nothing, you avoid confirming that your email address or phone number is valid.
To protect you and prevent fraud, our notifications do not include hyperlinks or attachments, or ask for personal information.
If you have an open collections file and someone leaves you voicemail with a number to call, do not call it unless it is one of the numbers given under “How we communicate with you” heading on the Communications Policy page.
Do not give any information
If you have a doubt about the sender of an email or text, do not give them any information. Also never share any of your access codes or passwords.
If you want to grant an authorization or a power of attorney to a designated person, see the Authorization or Power of Attorney page.
Take the time to check
Always check the identity of the person requesting information and that the request is legitimate, especially if the situation seems urgent or problematic. Do not hesitate to 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 the address and numbers are legitimate. See the Communications Policy page.
To find out whether we actually use the kind of transaction the person is proposing, click Payment Options.
Report it
If you receive a suspicious communication, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and contact us.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is the central repository in Canada for fraud data, information and documentation. It exists to prevent fraudulent activity and help victims.