The Ontario government has issued a warning about scammers attempting to capitalize on the $200 rebate cheques being sent to qualifying residents of the province.
An alert appeared on the province’s “taxpayer rebate” webpage this week warning of scammers attempting to glean personal information from Ontarians via text, email, and phone.
“The Government of Ontario will only contact you directly in response to a question or query about the rebate you initiated,” the notice reads.
“It will not proactively contact you … to ask for personal information for example, Social Insurance Number (SIN), bank account information, health information, offer you money or a reward, or sign you up for a rebate program.”
The government’s announcement on rebate cheques was included in its fall economic statement released in October.
Ontario pledged in the statement to send $200 rebate cheques to all taxpayers in the province—an estimated 12.5 million adults. The 2.5 million children living in the province are also eligible to receive the rebate, an Oct. 29 government press release said.
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Ford said at the time the rebate aimed to help offset the high costs of the federal carbon tax and interest rates.
“This $200 taxpayer rebate will give Ontario taxpayers, especially families with children, some much-deserved help so they can make ends meet,” Ford told reporters at a news conference last year.
“That’s money that families can use to pay off their credit card after the holidays, to buy a winter coat for their kids, or to cover the cost of gassing up the family car.”
The rebate cheques are expected to cost the province approximately $3 billion.
All adults who filed a 2023 income tax return are eligible for the rebate as long as they were not incarcerated or bankrupt in 2024, the government said. An eligible family of five with two adults and three children, for instance, can expect to receive $1,000.
The government website said cheques began going out in the mail in early 2025.
Opposition parties criticized the payouts at the time, saying it was a way to curry favour ahead of an anticipated early election.
The snap election call came late last month after Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford met with Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont to request the dissolution of the legislature more than a year before the fixed election date in June 2026. Ontarians will head to the polls on Feb. 27.
Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie has said the province should allocate the money toward a promised tax cut to save people money rather than putting it in the mail.
