The CRA scam continues to weave its way through Nanaimo with the RCMP fielding numerous complaints from residents reporting they’ve received threatening phone calls.
According to police, in recent weeks, concerned residents have come to the RCMP detachment with reports they have received a phone call from a man claiming to be with the Canada Revenue Agency who told them they will be arrested within one hour and have all their assets seized if they did not immediately pay a reported outstanding tax bill.
“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,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman,in a press release.
Police are advising the calls are nothing more than a scam and happen most frequently from March to June each year around income tax time.
Intended victims receive a phone call from a ma who tells victims they haven’t paid their taxes and will be arrested within one hour. Their credit cards and debit cards will also be seized and in some cases people have even been threatened having their houses blown up or harm done to their families.
The fraudsters might also make contact via private messages to Facebook accounts or by text message.
The scammers will provide a 10-digit wire transfer code so that money can be sent to a certain account or may also direct victims to pay off your outstanding tax bills by purchasing gift cards.
Police say Canada Revenue Agency never makes contacts by phone, but only through mail delivery. CRA agents will never threaten citizens and never ask them to provide personal information, such as credit card numbers or banking information. Anyone who receives a call from a CRA scammer is advised to simply hang up the phone.
Those who choose to report incidents are asked to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll free at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/reportincident-signalerincident/index-eng.htm.
Anyone who has provided personal information or lost money to a CRA scammer is asked contact the Nanaimo RCMP.