Central Hastings O.P.P continues to receive numerous complaints daily indicating that the telephone tax scam is still circulating in the area.
On September 20, 2016 a resident of the Municipality of Marmora and Lake contacted police after she responded to a telephone call from a male claiming to be employed with the Canada Revenue Agency. The scammer alleged the resident owed back taxes and that payment of the outstanding debt needed to be made by purchasing prepaid gift cards. The resident felt intimidated from the caller’s harassing demeanor and responded to scammer’s demands which resulted in her being defrauded of several hundred dollars.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre cautions the public of “Tax Scams” where fraudsters attempt to scam consumers and businesses by impersonating the Canada Revenue Agency. Taxpayers should be vigilant when they receive, either by telephone, mail, text message or email, a fraudulent communication that claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Cases of fraudulent communication often involve threatening or coercive language to scare individuals into paying fictitious debt to the CRA.
Warning sign(s) – How to protect yourself
Do not take immediate action!
Ask yourself why the CRA would be asking for personal information over the phone or e-mail that they likely already have on file for you as a taxpayer.
Ask yourself why the CRA would want you to pay outstanding money with gift cards.
Contact the CRA to confirm that you in fact owe back taxes and do not use the phone number that the caller provides or that is listed on call display. Look up the phone number yourself from a reliable source.
For more information about Fraud Scams involving the CRA visit the Canada Revenue Web page
