Prince George, B.C. – Beware of scams this tax season.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) says to be especially vigilant when it comes to telephone calls or emails that claim to be from the CRA but are not.

“These are phishing and other fraudulent scams that could result in identity and financial theft,” they warn.

The CRA says to be especially vigilant of phishing scams dealing with credit card, bank account, and passport numbers as they would never ask for this type of information.

Some recent scams include:

Telephone scams involving threatening or forceful language to scare you into paying fictitious debt to the CRA. If you get such a call, they say to hang up and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Emails telling you that you are entitled to a refund or a specific amount or telling you that your tax assessment has been verified and you are getting a tax refund. These emails may even have CRA logos or internet links that look official.

The CRA warns this kind of communication is not from them. In fact they say they never ask for passport, health card, or driver’s licence information. In addition, they never share taxpayer information with another person, unless provided the proper authorization and never leave personal information on your answering machine.

For tips on how to deal with suspicious calls or emails, and more information on scams in general, click here.