The RCMP is urging residents not to fall prey to telephone solicitors pretending to represent Revenue Canada.
With calls still coming in, the Oliver RCMP is urging residents not to fall prey to the popular Revenue Canada scam making the rounds.
Corporal Brian Evans said fraudsters have been calling local residents pretending to represent the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
“The callers can be threatening and usually threaten that they will be getting a warrant for the person’s arrest and that the
RCMP will be coming to arrest them,” Evans said.
The number these scammers use is generally a toll free 1-855 number.
The RCMP would like to remind everyone of the following:
Revenue Canada does not solicit any information by telephone.
Do not give out any personal information to these callers as it may be used in identity theft scams.
Do not send these people any money, regardless of the threats or promises they may make.
Evans is urging people to be extremely wary of any stranger who solicits money over the phone, by email or by fax.
The officer said common scams include claims that you have a large inheritance from a relative you have never heard of in another country. They claim that they need you to send some money up front to release the funds.
Scams involving the purchase of vehicles from foreign countries are also common.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
“We hate to see people getting victimized by these criminals,” Evans said. “Unfortunately,
there is generally very little police can do as these scams are international in nature and virtually impossible to track.”
Evans said the culprits often call from out of country, such as West Africa, Jamaica, etc.
He noted the best thing to do is hang up, adding there is no need to report these calls to police.
