Police warning against telephone tax scam

January 27, 2016 · 0 Comments

Caledon OPP is issuing a warning about fraudulent phone calls after they received reports from concerned residents.
Fraudsters are calling homeowners and indicating that a criminal investigation has been conducted and arrest warrants are being prepared, stemming from overdue taxes owed to the government. The fraudsters represent themselves as an agent of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to legitimize their attempts to get residents to send them money and gain valuable personal information in the process.
Residents are also contacting police to report they have received phone calls from someone claiming to be calling from CRA and that they had forwarded a large quantity of money through a money gram after the homeowner was told they owed money and had to pay immediately.
Fraudsters may also be advising homeowners that they are in receipt of income tax credits and to forward their personal banking information to claim the cash.
Police are reminding all residents to be extremely vigilant when receiving phone calls or e-mails from someone claiming to be from the CRA or a police service inquiring about personal information and demanding payment on behalf of CRA. These types of calls are designed to create anxiety and complete shock for the unsuspecting resident, resulting in personal and financial information being disclosed.
Constable Brenda Evans of Caledon OPP said these calls have been frequent over the last week.
She added CRA would never try to collect back taxes through such a phone solicitation.
For more information on fraud, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or http://www.antifraudcentre.ca