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Canada Revenue Agency scam active on Vancouver Island

Shawnigan Lake RCMP are advising citizens that the Canada Revenue Agency scam is “still very active on Vancouver Island with dozens of phone calls being received by the local detachments each week,” including recently.
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RCMP are warning of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam is still very active on Vancouver Island. (Citizen file)

Shawnigan Lake RCMP are advising citizens that the Canada Revenue Agency scam is “still very active on Vancouver Island with dozens of phone calls being received by the local detachments each week,” including recently.

The CRA scam starts off as a phone call from an individual claiming to be from the agency who informs you that you haven’t paid your taxes and that as a result, a warrant has been issued for your arrest — unless that is, you fork over money immediately.

“This is not how the Canada Revenue Agency conducts business and it is a scam,” said a press release issued by the Shawnigan detachment. “ At this point your best course of action is to hang up the telephone.”

Loads of people have been getting phone calls from would-be scammers.

“They called me and I kinda freaked out,” admitted Duncan’s Robert Casey. “I couldn’t get the number done fast enough.”

He said it wasn’t a real person but a recording trying to bilk him out of his funds.

“I learned income tax [the CRA] doesn’t do that,” he said. “I called them and they told me I didn’t owe any money.”

He was still shaken after the incident despite the assurances of the Canada Revenue Agency.

“I’m on disability and trying to figure out how I owe money,” he said. “I understand I’m not the only one.”

Casey noted it was a good thing he was too flustered to write down the number on the recording. Even so, he said he would likely have done some research long before paying any money. He did think it was a good idea to tell his story to warn others to be aware of suspicious phone calls.

It’s always a good idea to hang up and call back — at a number you research yourself — to ensure you’re speaking with the correct agency, be it a bank or the CRA or otherwise.

Should you receive a call of this type, the RCMP recommend reporting the call to the Canadian Anti-Fraud centre (1-888-495-8501 or http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm).

“The golden rule of telephone fraud prevention is to verify all aspects of the solicitation, beginning with the identity of the caller, his or her affiliation to the organization being represented, and their intentions in soliciting via the phone,” said the advisory.

For more prevention tips and for information about reporting fraudulent incidents, please visit http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/tf-ft-eng.htm



Sarah Simpson

About the Author: Sarah Simpson

I started my time with Black Press Media as an intern, before joining the Citizen in the summer of 2004.
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