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New scam threatens conference call with police

They ask for the name of your local police force
phone scam shutterstock_472877077 2016

Police are warning of a new twist on an old scam.

Historically, fraudsters have been known to use automated calls to potential victims advising them that they owe money to CRA and if they fail to pay, there will be warrants issued for their arrest. More recently, fraudsters have been posing as CRA agents and telling potential victims that their bank accounts have been targeted for fraud. In addition to this, scammers advise potential victims that the OPP will be following up with them.  

Recently the OPP have received several complaints from local residents who had received phone calls from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) stating that they owed money and that there was an outstanding warrant of arrest if not paid.

"This scam has been reported in the past, however, there is a new direction the scammers are using," says Constable Joe Scali. "They ask for the name of your local police force or detachment that services your area and then place a conference call with that detachment. The call from CRA is a scam. The conference call with the police is a scam." 

Scali advises you to:

  • Hang up immediately if there's anything suspicious or unprofessional about the call - the CRA will never threaten you with immediate arrest, use abusive language or send police.
  • The CRA will never request payment by Interac e-transfer, online currency such as bitcoin, pre-paid credit cards or pre-paid gift cards such as iTunes, Home Depot, etc. The CRA's accepted methods of payment are online banking, debit card, credit card or PayPal through a third-party service provider and pre-authorized debit. 

If you or someone you know suspects they have been targeted by a phone call scam, contact your local OPP detachment, nearest police authority, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or p3tips.com.