Tax season has arrived and some people are trying to take advantage of the opportunity to scam Canadians.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is warning the public about an increase in reports of telephone fraud, where the caller claims to be from the CRA and is asking for personal information and unauthorized payments.
According to the CRA website, some taxpayers have been threatened into paying fictitious debt to the agency after answering a call from someone claiming they owe taxes.
The caller requests immediate credit card payment, and people are often threatened with court charges, jail or deportation depending on personal circumstances.
The CRA cautions it would never request a prepaid credit card, ask for passport, health care or driver’s license information, or leave personal information with another person or on an answering machine.
Anyone who receives such a call is advised to hang up immediately and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Sgt. Sukh Rhandawa said the Okotoks RCMP has received one complaint of the telephone scam in town to-date.
He said the RCMP do not normally advise on CRA matters, but reminds residents that people will usually receive written communication from the agency regarding personal information such as taxes.
“Anyone, before providing information to anyone over the phone, should educate themselves,” said Rhandawa. “They can check the website for information and make a general inquiry by calling the CRA to make sure it’s legitimate.”
He said residents who receive a suspicious call can report it to the RCMP, and police will open a file, but will refer people to the CRA directly.
To confirm the authenticity of a CRA telephone number, call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281 for individuals or 1-800-959-5525 for businesses.
