“Your CRA Refund Is Pending, Click Here”: Is This Text Real?

Verdict: False
A text saying your CRA refund or benefit is “pending” and asking you to click a link is a scam. The CRA does not send refunds, payments or benefit links by text.

What the claim says

You get a text or email that looks like it’s from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or Service Canada. It might say:

  • “Your refund is pending. Click here to accept your deposit.”
  • “You have received an e-transfer from the CRA.”
  • “There is an error on your account. Reply HELP.”
  • “About a line on your latest tax assessment, reply Y to fix it.”

Some messages include your real name, date of birth or even your Social Insurance Number (SIN), which makes them look real.

What’s actually true

The CRA says clearly on its scam page:

  • It only sends text messages for sign-in security codes, and only if you signed up for codes by phone.
  • It does not use text messages or apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to contact you.
  • It does not send refunds or payments by e-transfer or text.
  • It does not send texts or emails about benefits with links asking you to click.
  • Its emails won’t include a link asking you to enter personal or financial information.

Service Canada also says it will not ask you for personal information this way.

Real refunds and benefit payments go to your bank by direct deposit, or come as a cheque in the mail. When the CRA has news for you, it goes into your CRA account, and you may get an email telling you to sign in. That email won’t have a link to a form.

Where the confusion comes from

  • People are waiting for real payments on real dates, so a “refund pending” text feels expected. The CRA says scammers time their messages to published payment dates and tax season.
  • Scammers copy Government of Canada logos and images.
  • Your name or SIN may come from a data breach somewhere else, so it doesn’t prove the message is real.
  • The fake link often goes to a page that looks just like your bank’s sign-in page.

How to check a message safely

  1. Don’t click the link or reply, even to say STOP.
  2. Type canada.ca into your browser yourself and sign in to your CRA account or My Service Canada Account.
  3. Look under Mail or your payment details. If there’s nothing there, the text was fake.
  4. If you’re still not sure, call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281 or 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232).

Real CRA web addresses start with canada.ca or end with cra-arc.gc.ca.

What to do if you clicked

  1. If you entered bank details or signed in to your bank, call your bank now.
  2. If you entered your CRA sign-in, SIN or date of birth, call the CRA’s identity protection line at 1-833-995-2336 (Monday to Friday, 6:30 am to 7 pm Eastern time). It can put protections on your account during the call.
  3. If you think someone is using your SIN, call Service Canada at 1-866-274-6627.
  4. Change any password you typed in, and don’t reuse it anywhere.
  5. If money was taken, report it to your local police and get a file number.

Then report the message to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4:45 pm Eastern time) or online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca. The CRA asks you to report it even if you gave nothing away.