After announcing that it is now possible to check the messages it sends via SMS, Revenu Québec is providing details on the types of messages its users will receive.
• Also read: Revenu Québec can now communicate via SMS
This week, several voices have been raised about the risks associated with sending messages via SMS, as many scammers impersonate government agencies to extort money from their victims.
“It is the taxpayer's responsibility to determine which text message from Revenu Québec is genuine and which is fraudulent,” said the coordinator of the Association for the Protection of Consumer Interests on the North Coast, Frédéric Boudreault, on Thursday. The responsibility now lies with him.”
Revenu Québec now states in a press release that the government agency never asks for personal information via text message or email and never offers a refund through these means of communication and that text messaging is in the testing phase.
“Revenu Québec is aware of phishing attempts and acts as a responsible organization. The protection of confidential information is Revenu Québec's top priority and believes that it is its duty to reduce the risk of fraud among citizens and to provide services that allow individuals to be informed quickly, especially when a “If certain sensitive data is in their file has been changed or if they have been affected by an incident,” it says.
As of March 2, Revenu Québec had sent 99 notifications to people who had made a change in their file, only 6 of which were via SMS.
“Notifications from Revenu Québec never contain clickable links, monetary amounts, personal information or attachments,” we add.
If there are doubts about fraudulent text messages, the government agency recommends reporting those concerns to Revenu Québec on the website justpourtous.com.