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Figures: 2026 tax year

Spotting a fake tax message

The CRA does not start contact with a threatening call or a demand for gift cards. Here is how to tell a real message from a fake and where to report one.

Updated 24 July 2026 · 1 min read

Tax season is scam season. The messages get better every year, and they are timed to arrive when you are expecting something from the agency.

Signs a message is fake

  • It demands payment immediately, or threatens arrest, deportation or losing your licence.
  • It asks for a gift card, a wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
  • It asks for your SIN, your CRA sign-in details or your bank details by reply.
  • It links to a site that looks right but sits on a domain that is not canada.ca or hypertax.ca.
  • The greeting is generic, or your name is spelt wrong.

What the CRA actually does

The CRA may telephone or email, but it will not threaten arrest, will not demand payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency, and will not ask for personal information by text message.

What Hypertax will and will not send

Hypertax sends a sign-in link, a receipt, and a message when something you asked for is ready. It never asks for your tax number, your card number or a verification code by email.

Check it yourself

Do not use the link in the message. Type canada.ca into your browser, or sign in to your own account and look for the same notice there. A real notice is in your account.

Reporting one

Report the message through the CRA scams and fraud page linked below. If you gave anything away, change your password and turn on two-step verification straight away.

Sources

Every figure and every procedure on this page was checked against the pages below on the date shown. The agencies revise these pages, so confirm anything you are about to act on.

  1. Scams and fraud (opens in a new tab)canada.ca · checked 24 July 2026

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This article explains a form and a process. It is general information, not tax advice about your own situation, and Hypertax does not send your return to the CRA — you print it and mail it. See the not-tax-advice notice and the rest of the help centre.