The text arrived on a day when I was already checking for my refund. It said the payment was ready and offered a link to accept it.
That timing made the message feel convincing. I put the phone down and opened the official CRA site separately.
Verify through another route
CRA does not send refunds by e-transfer or text message. It can send legitimate notifications about mail in an online account, and it can contact taxpayers by phone or letter. The channel alone does not settle every case; the requested action matters. CRA's scam-recognition guidance.
I checked my account without using the message link. If a caller claims to be an agent, I can end the call and verify through contact information obtained independently from Canada.ca. A displayed phone number or familiar name is not proof of identity.
Pressure to pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency or an immediate e-transfer is a clear warning. So is a link asking me to enter financial information to release a refund.
Act on any information already shared
If I had entered a password, banking details or identifying information, deleting the message would not undo that disclosure. The next step would be to contact the affected institution and follow CRA's fraud-reporting and account-security instructions through official channels.
I can preserve the message details for a report without continuing the conversation or opening attachments. I also check the account for changes I did not request.
The genuine refund status was still in my account. The text had borrowed the subject I was already thinking about; it had not proved anything about my return. I deleted it after checking the reporting options, then returned to the official status page.
Checked October 20, 2026. See tracking a refund and secure representative access.