Is This Information Accurate?

Digital literacy is an essential for navigating our modern world, and we all have a responsibility to ensure that we are protecting ourselves.

There are many websites intended to provide accessible and easy to understand information on government services. However, it is important to distinguish between these websites and official Government of Canada websites.

Only Government of Canada websites have official material regarding important information for businesses and individuals on topics such as travel, health, taxation, and more. The Government of Canada cannot guarantee that other websites provide legal, accurate and up-to-date information.

It is easy to determine which websites are official Government of Canada websites. The Government of Canada’s website is www.canada.ca and it includes all manner of information pertaining to the federal government. Other websites affiliated with the Government of Canada, like www.competitionbureau.gc.ca, will always include “.gc.ca” as the domain name.

It is important to distinguish between these websites and information websites to ensure you have accurate information, but also to ensure that you do not fall victim to misinformation, fraud and scams.

In the first two months of 2022, almost 8000 Canadians lost a total of $75 million to fraud. The best solution to this pervasive problem is to inform yourself about the nature of frauds and scams.  The Government of Canada has webpages devoted to this information which you can view at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/fraud-scams.html.

The most dangerous scams include messages claiming to be from government agencies: Service Canada, the CRA, Canada Border Services Agency, and more. If you receive a surprise call from one of these agencies, hang up and call the agency directly.

The ability to identify fraudulent information is important in navigating our world. Be vigilant, be cautious, be safe and do not share information you cannot verify.