Don't fall for Canada Revenue Agency scam calls or emails, warn police
Some calls falsely appear to come from police agencies
Police are warning people that scam phone calls and emails from Canada Revenue Agency imposters have increased again and falling for the ruse could have disastrous consequences — including identity theft and financial loss.
The phone calls often threaten imminent arrest and detention because, the scammers say, the recipient owes the CRA back taxes.
Waterloo Regional Police say in some cases call display may even show the call is coming from the Waterloo Regional Police Service. The police insist no such calls are coming from their detachments.
Police sent out a warning in October this year about CRA the scams, which can also happen via email.
The emails may contain malware, malicious or hostile software that could be used to gather or even steal private and personal information. The emails often contain links that direct the recipient to a form that requests personal information including personal banking details and Social Insurance Numbers.
The CRA says it does not send unsolicited emails that request personal information, or emails that say the recipient owes the agency money. Further, the CRA says the only time would send an email containing an exterior link would be if a client is on the phone with a CRA agent and they have requested specific information during the call.
People wishing to verify whether a caller is from the CRA can call 1-800-959-5525 for business tax concerns, or 1-800-959-8281 for individual concerns.
Anyone who receives suspicious communications should report the incident to local police and also report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre here.