Anyone can be targeted by ruthless scammers — even the Mounties.
RCMP in Chilliwack are warning that the well-known CRA tax scam, where criminals pretend to be Canada Revenue Agency employees, is back in circulation and attempting to defraud people of their money.
“We are reminding everyone these fraudsters can target potential victims by telephone, email, at home, or in the workplace,” said RCMP Cpl. Mike Rail of the UFVRD.
This particular scam starts with an unexpected contact by someone claiming to be a representative of the CRA. As it unfolds on the phone, the caller aggressively tries to solicit the victim’s credit information to either demand an “overdue” tax payment or refund money.
Either way, the CRA never operates that way.
“The communication appears official, the correspondence sent to me did,” said Rail, who received the emailed version from scammers.
READ MORE: Scam tried in Delta
READ MORE: CRA scam is not new
Fraud protection tips:
· CRA does not ask for personal information by email.
· CRA does not ask for prepayment with credit cards.
· CRA does not threaten court charges, jail or deportation.
READ MORE: Seniors often targeted
Anyone can call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281 for individual concerns or 1-800-959-5525 for business-related calls. Or call the Canadian Anti-Fraud toll free at 1-888-495-8501.
@CHWKjourno
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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