Surrey RCMP is advising the public of a trend in CRA scams.
Surrey RCMP have been advised of scam phone calls which involve fraudsters attempting to pass themselves off as employees of Canada Revenue Agency.
The fraudsters pressure their victims into making a payment on a fictitious tax debt, and often use pressure tactics such as telling the victim they will be arrested, or that a warrant has been issued for their arrest. On October 28, 2019, Surrey RCMP received two separate reports of CRA scams which also included caller ID spoofing.
Caller ID spoofing is when a fraudster uses software or applications to indicate to the receiver of a call that identity of the caller is someone they are not. In the two cases reported to Surrey RCMP, programming was used to show the Surrey RCMP non-emergency phone number.
Surrey RCMP is passing on this important information to help individuals to protect themselves from fraud:
Surrey RCMP does not collect taxes on behalf of Canada Revenue Agency.
Know: Canada Revenue Agency will NEVER call to say there is a warrant for arrest.
Know: Police will NEVER call you to demand money.
If you receive a call stating either of the above – it is fraud.
Do: Hang up the phone.
Never arrange payment – it is fraud. If you are in doubt, hang up the phone and call the CRA or police back yourself using publically-accessible contact details.
What do you do if this happens to you? You should follow these steps:
Do: Call the police in your area and report the fraud.
Do: Contact Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and report the fraud.
Do: Tell your friends and family so they are aware of the new tactic being used by scammers.
If you have given payment over the phone and believe you are a victim of fraud, you should follow these steps:
Do: Call the police in your area and report the fraud.
Do: Contact Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and report the fraud.
Do: Contact Equifax and Trans Union to protect your credit.
We are starting to see the ID spoofing tactic being used by those committing fraud, said Sergeant David Wise, Surrey RCMP. We are hoping that, by raising awareness we can help people avoid falling victim to scams.