Call someone for a second opinion before you give your money away to a fraud scam, say police. North Vancouver RCMP is again warning the public of phone and e-mail scams where a fraudster purports to be a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) representative.
The potential victim is pressured into paying a non-existent debt. Police have recently received a number of such complaints from local citizens.
You may receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from Canada Revenue Agency. Coercive and threatening language is used to make you believe that potential court charges, jail, or deportation are real and need to be addressed immediately. Fraudsters will also use automated phone voice messages leaving similar threatening messages.
You may also receive personal e-mails originating from what appears to be the CRA website. The e-mail makes a request for extremely personal information.
Police remind everyone that Canada Revenue Agency does not use e-mail or voice message to request information regarding your taxes, passport, health card, or driver’s licence. You can also become a victim of identity theft by giving your personal information away to a criminally minded person.
Before you consider sending money, call someone for a second opinion, suggests Cpl. Richard De Jong, spokesperson for the North Vancouver RCMP. Call a family member, a friend, the police or the CRA at 1-800-959-8281 before you give money away.
The following tips are offered to help prevent you from becoming a victim. Ask yourself the following questions:
Is there a reason that the CRA may be calling?
Am I confident I know who is asking for the information?
Do I have a tax balance outstanding?
Is the requester asking for information I know the CRA already has on file for me?
How did the requester get my e-mail address or telephone number?
If you receive such a fraudulent call, hang up and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. Contact the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre or Canada Revenue Agency websites to obtain more information.
