The Canadian Border Serivices Agency is reporting an email scam making the rounds. Someone, posing as a CBSA officer, sends out an email requesting payment for a fine complete with invoice.

The CBSA wants the public to know that it never sends invoices or requests payments via email. As well, they do not use email providers such as Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail nor do they ever collect payment over the phone. 

The CBSA reminds Canadians they can help fight this type of fraud and protect themselves by knowing the signs of fraud and taking action.

  • Recognize the signs of a scam and immediately report any suspected fraudulent activity to authorities.
  • Be aware of a request that claims to be legal or have government approval – many scammers will tell you this. If you have provided personal details, you could have your identity stolen.
  • In general, scammers make their money by persuading you to pay fees or taxes or call their premium rate phone numbers (for which prices higher than normal are charged to you). These premium rate calls can be very expensive, and the scammers will try to keep you on the line for a long time or ask you to call a different premium rate number.
  • If you recognize these signs, the request is a scam and should be reported immediately to authorities.