The New Westminster Police Department is warning people about CRA phone scammers.
Police say that the telephone scam involves fraudsters claiming to work with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), a scenario that’s affected local residents since last summer.
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“Scammers contact people by phone, telling them they owe money that must be repaid or they face getting arrested” reads a statement.
“The callers are also known to request personal information such as a social insurance number, credit card number, bank account number, or passport number”.
As a result, police want residents to know that the CRA does, on occasion, contact taxpayers by phone. However, it is important to note that the CRA will never:
- Threaten with arrest or police
- Ask for a payment via prepaid credit cards or gift cards
- Collect or distribute payments through Interac e-transfer.
- Use text messages to communicate under any circumstance
Taxpayers should be vigilant when they receive telephone, mail, text message or email communications that claims to be from the CRA requesting personal information such as a social insurance number, credit card number, bank account number, or passport number.
If you believe that you were a victim of this scam, please call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud or have been tricked into giving personal or financial information, contact the New Westminster Police Department at 604-525-5411 or call your local police.
For more information on scams, click here.
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