Saskatchewan RCMP are warning of a phishing scam in which callers posing as Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) representatives demand payment of back taxes.
In the 10 days leading up to April 26, Battlefords RCMP fielded some 200 complaints about the scam. A similar report was made last week by a business in Maidenstone.
After claiming the victim owes back taxes, callers typically demand immediate payment and threaten to dispatch police if the victim fails to pay.
RCMP and the Canada Revenue Agency are reminding the public that the CRA will never request information from a taxpayer pertaining to passports, health cards or driver’s licences.
Police recommend that anyone who receives a call from someone claiming to be from or calling on behalf of the Canada Revenue Agency not provide any personal information and end the call.
RCMP offers the following tips to help people protect themselves from phishing scams:
• If it sounds suspicious, it likely is.
• If it’s too good to be true, it likely is.
• Never provide personal information, including credit card or payment information, over the phone to someone you don’t know.
Anyone who has been the victim of a phone scam and has given out personal information is asked to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by email at [email protected]
For information on how to protect against fraud, including how to recognize a scam and examples of fraudulent communications, people can visit the CRA website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/scrty/frdprvntn/menu-eng.html or the RCMP webpage www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/phishing-eng.html.
