Sometimes the phone numbers appear to be legitimate. However, Service Canada and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre have confirmed these calls are fraudulent and that fraudsters are masking their phone number with legitimate government phone numbers in an effort to gain access to personal or financial information.
Does Service Canada actually call you?
In very rare cases, Service Canada may unexpectedly contact you in the course of delivering Government of Canada services. Service Canada and 1 800 O-Canada only send information you have requested and only send notifications through services to which you have signed up.
How do you check if your SIN has been compromised?
You suspect someone is using your SIN for work: A printed list of all the employers who issued a T4 slip for your SIN over the past 3 years. To obtain this printout, call CRA at 1-800-959-8281. Review this list and identify employers for whom you have not worked.
Why am I getting calls from Service Canada?
Unauthorized and misleading communications. Occasionally, Canadians may receive a communication by telephone, mail or email that claims to be from the Government of Canada (Service Canada) but is not. This kind of unauthorized communication may request personal information such as: Social Insurance Number.
What happens if I miss a call from Service Canada?
When you miss a call and the caller doesn’t leave a message, don’t return the call. If it’s important, they’ll call you back. If it’s a long distance number, you could be charged long distance fees.
Why am I getting calls about my social insurance number?
What are scams. As a taxpayer, you should be cautious if you receive any communication that claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and requests personal information such as a social insurance number (SIN), credit card number, bank account number, or passport number.
Does Service Canada suspended SIN numbers?
FALSE! We do not suspend SINs. Beware of scam calls telling you otherwise.
What is a SIN alert?
If you believe your identity has been stolen, you can place a Potential Fraud Warning on your credit report for a $5.00 fee. For an extra $1.00, you can also place an alert on your Social Insurance Number (SIN).
How do I stop fake Service Canada calls?
File a complaint. You can report unwanted telemarketing calls at National DNCL or call 1-866-580-DNCL (3625). Contact law enforcement. If you think the call might be part of a fraud scheme, contact law enforcement authorities or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (formerly PhoneBusters) or call 1-888-495-8501.
Does Service Canada make automated phone calls?
No, CRA does not use automated calls under any circumstances. Plus, CRA agents don’t leave any personal information of any kind on messages. In fact, the CRA rarely calls taxpayers.
What happens if you get a call about your Social Security number?
Just hang up. If you suspect you’ve been contacted by an SSA scammer call the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271.
Do people call before they serve you?
Spotting a scam server
Process servers do not usually call ahead of time since this gives people time to avoid being served court papers. A process server will never ask for any money. They do not collect money owed for divorce cases, child support, or any other legal reason (especially via a wire transfer).
Will Service Canada call me back?
We will call you back within 2 business days. You can complete the following tasks at a Service Canada Centre: submit supporting documents. accept Proof of Identity documents.
Should I call back if I miss a call?
It’s better to let them call you back. The original caller is the lead person when it comes to this call. The exception to this would be if there were any reason that you were to think the person might be injured, or the call came from a child, someone who is ill, or an elderly person. Then you would want to call back.
How can you tell if a CRA call is real?
If the CRA calls you
A legitimate CRA employee will identify themselves when they contact you. The employee will give you their name and a phone number. Make sure the caller is a CRA employee before you give any information over the phone. This will protect you from giving money or personal information to a scammer.
Why am I getting so many spam calls about insurance?
The individuals making these calls are phishing for personal information. This type of scam is also known as spoofing. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FTC), spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity.
How can I find out if someone opened an account in my name?
The best way to find out if someone has opened an account in your name is to pull your own credit reports to check. Note that you’ll need to pull your credit reports from all three bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — to check for fraud since each report may have different information and reporting.
What to do if your SIN is compromised?
Call Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218 if your SIN card has been lost or stolen, or you believe someone is using it. Call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. The information you give will help law enforcement agencies in possible investigations.
Can your SIN be Cancelled?
No one’s Social Insurance Number can be rescinded; you can only be issued a new one, in case your old one has been compromised. Have you recently received a call from someone threatening to “cancel” your Social Insurance Number (SIN) unless you complied with their demands? Don’t worry, it’s a scam.
How can I find out if a phone number is from a scammer for free?
You can run a BeenVerified free scammer phone number lookup, which will return a detailed report. Some of the details you can find include the caller’s name, their age, where they live, their email address, and if they have any social media accounts.
What phone number does the CRA use?
1-800-959-8281
Check your tax account
Confirm your tax account information through one of the CRA’s digital services. Call the CRA’s Individual Tax Account Balance Automated Service at 1-866-474-8272. Call 1-800-959-8281 for individuals or 1-800-959-5525 for businesses to verify if the CRA contacted you.