Apr 21, 2021 Many money orders issued at grocery stores, convenience stores, and check cashing stores are Western Union or MoneyGram money orders. If your money order was issued by an organization not already covered here (such as your bank or credit union), there’s still a good chance that you can trace it. Swagbucks: This survey site is one of the best and a good place to start as a beginner. In addition to poor quality, counterfeit money that doesn’t look real is also hard to spot. For instance, when you go to a fake store, you’ll almost always see people trying to sell you bundles of bills. Those are simply fake money, designed to look real. Instant People Search! Start searching 100% free to find contact information, current addresses, mobile phone numbers, social media profiles, criminal records and more at CheckPeople. Some scammers send fake mail pretending to be from the Government of Canada asking for personal and financial information. The letters can be very convincing and look real. Before you act, confirm if the letter is official communication. For more information visit: Identifying CRA mail. Identifying Service Canada mail.

How Do You Check If Money Is Real
How To Check If Money Is Real Canada Map

Recognizing a scam

Many scams and frauds attempt to imitate government services in order to gain access to your personal and financial information. To identify legitimate communications from us, read these guidelines and know what to expect if we contact you.

Messages claiming to be from Service Canada or 1 800 O-Canada

Learn how to identify Service Canada or 1 800 O-Canada fake calls, texts, emails or mail.

Messages claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency

Learn how to identify CRA fake calls, texts, emails or mail.

Messages claiming to be from Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada

Learn how to identify Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada fake calls, texts, emails or mail.

Types of scams and fraud

Phone call scams

Beware of telephone calls claiming to be from the Government of Canada.

Prepaid cards, bitcoin, e-transfer payment scams

Beware of suspicious requests demanding immediate payment.

Email scams

Watch out for emails claiming to be from the Government of Canada.

Text messages/instant messaging scams

Beware of text messages and instant messaging that looks like it’s from the Government of Canada.

Mail scams

Beware of mail that looks like it’s from the Government of Canada.

Common scams aimed at newcomers to Canada

Learn about the kinds of scams newcomers to Canada should watch out for.

COVID-19 scams and fraud

Learn about reported scams related to COVID-19 and how to protect yourself.

People trying to steal your personal information will pretend to be Government of Canada employees. If someone calls you saying they are from the Government of Canada, there are ways you can verify it’s official government communication.

For example, if the caller is claiming to be from CRA, you can ask for the caller's name, work section, and office location and tell them that you want to first verify their identity.

For more information visit:

Poster

This print-ready poster gives some tips on how to be scam smart.

Prepaid cards, bitcoin, e-transfers payments

The Government of Canada will not demand immediate payment by Interac e-transfer, bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards.

If you are sure you owe the Government of Canada money, there are accepted methods of payment. For example, the Canada Revenue Agency has a Payment options for individuals and businesses page that lists accepted payment methods.

Poster

This print-ready poster gives some tips on how to be scam smart.

In some cases, the Government of Canada will send you an email. For example, The Canada Revenue Agency may notify you by email when a new message or a document, such as a notice of assessment or reassessment, is available for you to view in secure CRA portals.

Scammers will try to imitate the government and send fake emails requesting personal or financial information. These are called phishing emails. Make sure you delete phishing emails and do not click on any links; they can carry harmful viruses that can infect your computer.

For more information visit:

Poster

This print-ready poster gives some tips on how to be scam smart.

Text messages/instant messaging scams

The Government of Canada will not send texts asking you:

For personal information
To verify if your Social Insurance Number has been stolen
To receive a tax refund
To make a payment
To receive your Employment Insurance payment

For more information visit:

Poster

This print-ready poster gives some tips on how to be scam smart.

In some cases, the Government of Canada will send you mail. For example, the Canada Revenue Agency may send you mail about your taxes, such as a Notice of Assessment.

Some scammers send fake mail pretending to be from the Government of Canada asking for personal and financial information. The letters can be very convincing and look real. Before you act, confirm if the letter is official communication.

For more information visit:

Protecting yourself

Stay safe online

Learn about simple steps you can take to protect yourself online like choosing strong passwords, passphrases and PINs.

Protect yourself from scams and fraud

Win real money games 2019. Learn how to avoid scammer pressure tactics, get tips on how to verify whether a communication is legitimate, and what to do if you suspect a scam.

Protect your Social Insurance Number

Find information on how to protect your SIN, and what to do if you suspect your SIN is being used by someone, or you have been affected by a data breach.

Protect your financial information

Scammers may try to steal your personal and financial information to access your accounts and steal your money. Learn more about how to protect yourself.

Reporting

Report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

If you or a family member have been contacted by a scammer, report it the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

What to do if you are a victim of fraud

Learn about what you can do if you are a victim of fraud.

Report deceptive marketing practices

Making false or misleading claims to promote a product or service is illegal in Canada, and can be reported to the Competition Bureau.

Report unauthorized health products and claims

False and misleading advertising of drugs, medical devices and natural health products including hand sanitizers and disinfectants is illegal in Canada.

How Do You Check If Money Is Real

You know how good it feels when you receive a tax refund? It might feel even better this year, because you might be rewarded with extra money if you got your taxes in on time.

In fact, you might happily find a check from the IRS in your mailbox — even if you're not owed a refund.

The tax agency just sent hundreds of thousands of new stimulus checks to Americans based on the information they provided when they filed their tax returns. You might be in that group if you met the May 17 tax deadline.

Brand-new stimulus checks and 'plus-ups'

The IRS says it has distributed another 1.8 million direct payments under the COVID-19 rescue package that Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed in March. The latest checks had official payment dates of May 26, and roughly half of them — more than 900,000 — stem from tax returns the recipients recently filed.

Those new payments fall into two categories.

Some are going to people who previously didn't have up-to-date personal or financial information on file with the IRS. If the tax agency didn’t know where or how to send you a stimulus check, the payment would have been delayed.

How To Check If Money Is Real Canada Map

But a completed tax