While the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) goes out of its way to warn Quebecers about financial fraud via SMS and email, the Revenu Québec agency is inviting taxpayers to receive alerts via SMS or email.
To this end, Revenu Québec, whose minister responsible is Finance Minister Eric Girard, is asking Quebec taxpayers for their consent to these text messages and emails in section 10 of their 2023 income tax returns. How? By providing your telephone number and email address.
Let's be honest: it makes no sense that François Legault and his backer, Finance Minister Eric Girard, have now allowed Revenu Québec to open the door wide to fraudsters who specialize in phishing via SMS and email.
Although Revenu Québec may tell us that their text messages and emails will not be used to request personal information or notify taxpayers of payment, this will not stop clever fraudsters from attempting large-scale fraud. Phishing using the Revenu Québec logo.
Revenu Québec's decision to send notifications widely via SMS or email is all the more unwelcome given that the Canada Revenue Agency (Revenue Canada) has launched fraud alerts to warn Canadian taxpayers not to be scammed by fake text messages and e-mails -Emails to be deceived Image from Revenue Canada.
It is common for fraudsters to attempt to impersonate Revenue Canada agents in order to lure vulnerable taxpayers into personal information and money.
Revenu Québec's extensive campaign aimed at convincing us of the benefits of receiving alerts via SMS or email is all the more unacceptable given that two surveys confirm the level of concern among Quebecers about attempted financial fraud.
The scams
As part of Fraud Prevention Month, which has just begun, a new survey on Quebecers and financial fraud conducted by TD shows that 43% of Quebecers feel vulnerable and fear fraud.
This is even more alarming considering that almost three in ten Quebecers (29%) have fallen victim to financial fraud at some point in their lives.
“As fraud techniques multiply and become more sophisticated and artificial intelligence provides fraudsters with new ammunition, TD says it is worrying to note that almost half of Quebecers (46%) have taken no action to learn about fraud in the last year. “Prevention or ways to protect yourself.”
Another important revelation. Although fraud is often associated with older people, the TD survey shows that 18- to 34-year-olds are more likely to be targeted by scammers on social media.
Meanwhile, a Royal Bank (RBC) survey shows that 69% of Quebecers say fraud worries them more than ever. Additionally, 89% believe artificial intelligence (AI) will make them more vulnerable to scams. And about 77% of Quebecers believe AI will make it harder to detect phone scams.
“The RBC survey results also showed that phishing (generic email or SMS scams), spear phishing (real-looking emails or SMS scams), and voice phishing (targeted phone or voicemail scams) Scams) are still the three most common types of fraud.
What to do ?
I recommend that François Legault and his Minister Eric Girard immediately order Revenu Québec to stop this process of notifications by SMS or email, since there are numerous financial fraud attempts that poison the lives of Quebecers every day.
If Revenu Québec wishes to forward messages to us, it will do so by post or electronically via My File on its secure website.
Last point!