Police Ask You To Be On High Alert Of CRA Scam

With March being Fraud Prevention Month and tax season in full swing, police say it is critical that members of our community are made aware of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam and know what to do if they receive a fake call.
 
Police continue to receive reports from residents who have received phone calls from someone pretending to be with the CRA.

It is important the community remain vigilant and report any suspicious phone calls to the Peterborough Police Service or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. 

If you receive any sort of communication from someone pretending to be from the CRA, including either a live phone call or a voice message left on your answering machine, please verify the identity of the person calling before taking any action. Do not take immediate action. 

It is important to note that the CRA does contact people directly and will leave a message on your answering machine. That is why it is crucial to hang up if you have any doubt on the person’s identity and call the CRA back directly at one of the following phone numbers: For business-related calls, contact the CRA at 1-800-959-5525 and for individual concerns, contact the CRA at 1-800-959-8281. To report a fraud, please call the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll free at 1-888-495-8501 or phone busters.

Be aware that these fake calls can be extremely convincing and aggressive. The fraudsters may threaten a person with an impending lawsuit or state that a warrant will be issued for their arrest if they do not pay the fictitious debt. The fraudster may leave a call back number or pose as police officers. When you call back the fake number, you may get a person on the phone pretending they are from the CRA. Only use the phone numbers provided in this post or visit the CRA’s website here.

In an effort to prevent you from falling prey to these cons, the CRA is releasing voice recordings of the scams that are currently targeting taxpayers.

These are scams and taxpayers should never respond to these fraudulent communications, or click on any of the links provided. Do not give out any personal information, including credit card information, or your Social Insurance Number over the phone until you have done your due diligence to ensure it is not a fraud by hanging up and contacting the CRA directly.

Please keep in mind:
 
The CRA:
· never requests prepaid credit cards;
· never asks for information about your passport, health card, or driver's licence;
· never shares your taxpayer information with another person, unless you have provided the appropriate authorization; and
· never leaves personal information on your answering machine or asks you to leave a message containing your personal information on an answering machine.
 
When in doubt, ask yourself the following:
·  Is there a reason that the CRA may be calling? Do I have a tax balance outstanding?
·  Is the requester asking for information I would not include with my tax return?
·  Is the requester asking for information I know the CRA already has on file for me?
·  How did the requester get my email address or telephone number?
·  Am I confident I know who is asking for the information?
 
For more information, please visit here.

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