Sharon Kirkup wasn’t fooled by the phone scam that targeted her last week, and she hopes no one else will be.
When she answered her phone, a recorded message told her she owed money to the Canada Revenue Agency and would face a lien on her bank accounts if she failed to respond.
“They made it sound pretty bad,” says Kirkup, a Flin Flon resident.
She says she was initially caught off guard by the call but knew her accountant had confirmed neither she nor her husband owed any more taxes.
The brief recording gave Kirkup a chance to push a particular digit in order to connect with a representative. She didn’t take the bait.
After hanging up the phone, she called her accountant, who told her that the Canada Revenue Agency never solicits by phone.
Kirkup says her accountant also told her this scam has been targeting Snow Lake residents, but it wasn’t clear how many calls had been received in Flin Flon.
She then contacted The Reminder so other residents could be warned of the scam.
“It just bothered me. Scams always bother me,” Kirkup says, adding that she worries seniors, and indeed anyone, could fall for the fraud.
Kirkup says the call was made from a number starting with 1-844. She thinks the recording featured a female voice.
After initially receiving a call the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 15, she says she received a second call from the same number later that day, shortly after 2 pm.
Kirkup wasn’t surprised, as her accountant had told her the scammers would likely try phoning repeatedly.
Sgt. Shayne Smith of the Flin Flon RCMP says his detachment occasionally receives complaints around this and other types of scams, but it’s rare.
He recommends people follow the old adage: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Smith says the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is an excellent resource, offering information on many types of scams and accepting reports of scams. Google “Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre” to visit the centre’s website.
