Phone scam claiming to be from Canada Revenue Agency
The Ottawa Police Service is informing the public on a recent scam where a caller states that he/she is from the Canada Revenue Agency. To this date, the targeted victims are of East Indian descent.
The caller is very aggressive and advises the victim that they owe unpaid taxes. The caller threatens arrest, jail time, and seizure of bank accounts if the victim does not immediately address the problem. The victim is told to attend retailers, then purchase pre-loaded gift cards and provide the card’s information to the caller.
Despite the (613) area code displayed on the phone call display, it’s suspected that these calls are not originating from within Canada. The Ottawa Police Organized Fraud Unit is advising the public that are or have been victims of this scam to contact the Ottawa Police and make a report. The call center is actively tracking all complaints and forwarding them to Organized Fraud.
Safety Tips:
1. Only give personal details and information where it is absolutely necessary and when you trust the person you are speaking to or dealing with.
2. Destroy personal information – don’t just throw it out. (Cut up old bills, statements or cards)
3. Treat your personal details like you would money
4. Never send money to anyone you don’t know or trust
5. Do not send money or pay any fee to claim a prize or lottery winnings
6. Avoid transferring or wiring any refunds or overpayments back to anyone you do not know
7. Do not give out your personal credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call yourself and the phone number came from a trusted person
8. Legitimate bank and financial institutions will never ask you for your account details in an email or ask you to click on a link in an email to access your account.
CONTACT:
Cst Sue Wright Greenbank CPC
Ottawa, Ontario
Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 2179
@Greenbankcpc