Nanaimo RCMP says ‘just hang up’ in fight against CRA scam

Nanaimo RCMP says 'just hang up' in fight against CRA scam
CHEK

Photo courtesy CBC.

Photo courtesy CBC.

Nanaimo RCMP is warning about a scam that continues to target residents who receive threatening phone calls claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Police say they have received a number of reports from concerned people after taking a call from a man who claims to be from the CRA and threatens to seize your assets if an outstanding tax bill is not paid within an hour.

Cst. Gary O’Brien says the scam calls mostly occur from March to June when income taxes are due.

“Please just hang up,” O’Brien said.

Many of these people were not even certain if they actually owed money to the Canada Revenue Agency and were simply going by what was told to them over the phone

For anyone who is not familiar with the scam, O’Brien says there are ways to tell if you are being targetted.

The phone calls are made by a man with a heavy accent who says you owe money to the CRA and will be arrested, your credit and debit cards seized and sometimes threatens to blow up your house or harm your family.

The fraudster may try to get to you through Facebook or a text message and will provide a 10-digit wire transfer code so money can be wired to a particular account.

You may even be asked to buy gift cards or Itunes cards to pay the outstanding bill.

RCMP says the CRA would never contact you by phone, only through mail delivery, and would not be threatening.

The CRA does not ask for personal information and is not in the business of buying gift cards.

O’Brien says you can report an incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

You are asked to call police if you gave personal information or lost money.

Andy NealAndy Neal

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