Fraud has been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Canada, and COVID-19 scams continue to circulate, including many scams involving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
People across Canada have received a variety of scam emails related to CERB, such as fake third-party companies offering to fill out applications or fraudulent emails that appear to be from the CRA encouraging people to click a link to claim their money (see photo above). The CRA also reports that some criminals are using other people’s identities to sign-up for CERB and receive payments.
It’s important to remember you should never respond or click on suspicious links and attachments, and never give out your personal or financial details. Police forces across the country also want to remind everyone to take the time to ensure any phone calls, emails, or social media claims or offers are legitimate and lawful.
Additional tips from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre:
- Watch out for fake or deceptive ads, or spoofed emails: Always verify the company and its services are real before you contact them.
- Don’t be afraid to say no: If a telemarketer tries to get you to buy something or to send them money right away, request the information in writing and/or hang up.
- Do your research: Always verify that the organization you’re dealing with is legitimate before you take any other action (i.e. look online for contact information for the company that supposedly called you, and call them to confirm).
- Don’t give out personal information: Beware of unsolicited calls where the caller asks you for personal information. If you didn’t initiate the call, you don’t know who you’re talking to.
- Beware of upfront fees: Many scams request you to pay fees in advance of receiving goods, services, or a prize. It’s illegal for a company to ask you to pay a fee upfront before they’ll give you a loan.
If you believe someone has contacted you attempting to scam you, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If you have lost money to a scam, call the police to report the incident.
Refer to the Government of Canada website for health, financial and security resources related to COVID-19 and refer to Financial Consumer Agency of Canada COVID-19 information to learn about managing financial health during COVID-19.
For more information about these scams and others, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.