Is Manitoba Risk Recognition Program a Scam?

If you have gotten a Manitoba finance secure email from no-reply@mdabmail.gov.mb.ca about the Manitoba Risk Recognition Program, it is not a scam. The $120 million Manitoba Risk Recognition Program (MRRP) provides a one-time payment to eligible essential front-line workers who took extraordinary risks to keep Manitobans safe during the period of March 20, 2020 to May 29, 2020 of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline for applications was June 29, 2020. The intake period is now closed.

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Is Manitoba Risk Recognition Program a Scam?

Financial Benefit

  • Based on the number of eligible applicants, successful applicants will be in receipt of $1,377 (Net of 10% withholding tax, see below).
  • Funds will be direct deposited to applicants' bank accounts. In specific instances, cheques may be issued at the discretion of Manitoba Finance. Please allow three to four business days for the funds to become available.

Withholding Tax

  • A 10 per cent withholding tax is being remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency on your behalf and that the NET amount of $1,377 has been deposited into your bank account.

Tax Slip

  • A T4A information slip will be issued to you in February 2021 for inclusion in your 2020 income tax return.

Who was eligible to receive this benefit?

To be eligible for this program, applicants must have met all of the criteria below:

  • worked in an eligible position and organization in:
    • healthcare, social services, justice, essential retail and pharmacies, retail food and beverage, funeral services, Business Improvement Zones (BIZ), hotel/motel, and transportation
    • See below for a listing of eligible organizations and positions
    • Workers in positions other than those listed below are not eligible for the MRRP. These include manufacturing, automotive repair, food processing, and other.
  • worked a minimum of 200 cumulative hours during the period of March 20, 2020 (the date of the first COVID-19 public health order) to May 29, 2020 on a part-time or full-time basis, or would have worked a minimum of 200 cumulative hours during the eligibility period, but had to self-isolate under public health orders
  • earned a total pre-tax employment income of less than $12,500 from eligible positions during the period of March 20, 2020 to May 29, 2020 (average of $5,000 per month x 2.5 months) Note: pre-tax earnings excludes overtime earnings.
  • are not enrolled in the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program

Eligible Positions and Organization Types

Listing of Eligible Organizations and Positions.

What is Essential Retail?

Essential Retail Business is defined as per Manitoba Public Health Order and is specifically limited to:

  • A business that provides, by retail sale, food or household consumer goods necessary for the safety, sanitation or operation of residences and businesses. Such a business includes a grocery store, supermarket, convenience store, butcher shop, bakery, market, hardware store and any other retail business.
  • A business that provides personal protective equipment or protective clothing for use in the workplace.
  • A business that provides essential goods and services for the health and well-being of animals, including animal feed, pet food, and animal supplies such as bedding.
  • A gas station or other business that provides diesel, aviation, propane, heating fuel or other fuel used to power a motor vehicle, aircraft or watercraft.
  • A business that provides office supplies and services. The supplies and services include computer products and related repair and maintenance services for businesses and for individuals working from home.
  • A business that holds a retail liquor licence, a manufacturer's licence, including a manufacturer's licence with a retail endorsement, or a retail cannabis licence or that is authorized by the Government of Canada to produce cannabis.
  • Retail Pharmacies, as per Section 55 of the Public Health Order
  • Please note that if you are a worker in healthcare, social services, family violence prevention, justice and corrections, and Manitoba accommodation services, only specific employers are eligible. Eligible employers are listed in the application form.

Security Services

Security guards employed by an eligible organization or employer, or, those contracted to protect an eligible organization type, are eligible for the MRRP. To apply to the program, select the primary organization/setting type to which you were assigned during the eligibility period

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Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Is Manitoba Risk Recognition Program a Scam?