The Canada Border Services Agency says watch out for individuals posing as CBSA officials using email, text messages and telephone calls to scam Canadian citizens. The CBSA says be on alert if someone is claiming to be one of their employees and contacts you to request personal information (such as a Social Insurance Number, credit card number, bank account number or passport number) or to demand money.

As well, the CBSA never initiates a request for your SIN and credit card number by telephone, text or email. If you receive a telephone call or an email asking for this information, or requesting money, it is a scam.

In some cases, these scams use thing to make it seem more legitimate like telephone display numbers and CBSA employee names, CBSA logos on websites or in emails, CBSA email addresses, employee names and titles.

When it comes to mail packages, the CBSA may call recipients/importers to clarify package declaration details; however, if you receive a call telling you that you must pay duty and taxes on a package that the CBSA is holding and threatens penalties, including jail time – this is a scam. Canada Post is responsible for collecting duties and taxes prior to a mail item being delivered to the recipient.

If you have a package coming to you by courier like FedEx or UPS, the courier company will reach out to you to organize the duties and taxes payment prior to the delivery. The courier, not CBSA, will hold the package until your payment is made.

CBSA says ignore fraudulent webpages and apps posing as ArriveCAN, Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) and asking for money. ArriveCAN is free and secure and needs to be used to enter Canada.