The Better Business Bureau is once again warning the public about not responding to threatening calls or messages purporting to be from the Canada Revenue Agency.
The messages suggest that a person owes the CRA money and if they don’t pay up, they’re going to jail.
The BBB says the scam resurfaces every tax season, and is one of the most frequent scams they hear about.
Kristin Matthews says although the Canadian government has been successful in shutting down some of the illegal call centres responsible for the scam, it remains prevalent.
She says the scammer will tell their intended victim that they owe back taxes and then try to have the money sent by wire transfer or through prepaid credit or gift cards. It they don’t get what they want, they threaten that police officers are on their way to make an arrest.
Matthews says fraudsters use high-pressure tactics to get a person to act quickly. They usually call during odd hours to catch you when your tired or not thinking clearly.
