The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) at West Parry Sound have obtained numerous complaints from locals concerning a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam that is said to have occurred recently.
The complainants stated that they were contacted by a caller claiming to be from the CRA. The caller asserted that they (the victims) owe money to the CRA, and are subject to an arrest warrant if the fee is not settled immediately.
This type of swindle has occurred in the past, both in Canada and elsewhere, as it relies on the natural fear and the instinct of compliance that ordinary people tend to have in the face of official threats. Police reiterate that citizens should be on their guard against such attempts at extortion – particularly during tax season.
The police have suggested that in the event of a scammer calling with unprofessional or suspicious behaviour, victims are advised to simply hang up the phone. The OPP emphasised that the CRA would never use abusive language or threaten people with an imminent arrest by sending the police.
Furthermore, the police would like to remind the public that the CRA would never force victims to complete payment by using prepaid credit or gift cards, cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, or Interac e-transfer.
The official methods of payment made available by the CRA are either by debit card, credit card, online banking or PayPal via a third-party service provider and pre-authorised debit.
Officers encourage victims of this scam to call their nearest local OPP department, police service, Crime Stoppers or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre anonymously.