New Tools for Reporting Suspicious Activity

Jul 28, 2023

he Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is pleased to announce new tools for reporting suspicious account activity or identity theft. An interactive voice response number is now operational, and a submittable webform through the CRA’s secure online portal (such as My Account) will be operational by Fall 2023. If call centres are experiencing high call volumes, these two tools offer alternative options to report information to the CRA without the need to first speak with an agent.

Reviewing suspicious activity

Agents from the CRA’s Identity Protection Services program will review the information submitted from these tools; and when required, take actions to protect the account. Agents may contact individuals by phone or letter for more information and to validate identities, which could include asking for government identification, direct deposit information, and proof of address. If there are any suspicions about a CRA message, here’s how to know it’s really from the CRA.

Staying up-to-date on scam prevention

The Scam prevention and the CRA page has also been updated to include information on the interactive voice response number, and has examples for when to report incidents to the CRA.

If your organization, association or department has any online references on this topic relating to CRA accounts specifically, please include the new information or link to our pages accordingly. We also have the following posts on our social media channels:

Facebook post #1 (English)                        Facebook post #2 (English)
Facebook post #1 (French)                        Facebook post #2 (French)

Twitter post #1 (English)                               Twitter post #2 (English)
Twitter post #1 (French)                               Twitter post #2 (French)

LinkedIn post (English)
LinkedIn post (French)

Protecting information and preventing future security incidents

The Canada.ca pages referenced above contain information to help individuals avoid scams, protect their information and prevent future security incidents. The most important reminders are to:

  • Make sure we have your correct email address at all times. Email notifications from the CRA let you know when important changes are made on your account. These notifications can act as an early warning for potential fraudulent activity.
  • Change your user IDs and passwords. We encourage you to make a practice of regularly changing your user IDs and passwords, as well as your security questions and answers.
  • Use unique and complex passwords. Always use unique passwords for your CRA and online banking accounts. Do not reuse the same password for different accounts or systems.
  • Create a PIN. We suggest you set up a personal identification number (PIN) in CRA My Account or with the help of one of our call centre agents, to help confirm your identity for future calls with the CRA.
  • Monitor your account for suspicious activity. Check your online CRA accounts regularly for any suspicious activity. This includes unsolicited changes to your address and direct deposit information, or benefit applications made on your behalf.
  • Make sure your personal and business information is up to date. The CRA may need to contact you to validate certain activities on your account that may be suspicious.

 

Stay connected

To find out what’s new at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA):