Local RCMP and the Canada Revenue Agency are warning of an increase in phone scams attempting to steal from Canadians under the guise of collecting unpaid taxes.
The fraudulent phone calls involve a caller claiming to be from the CRA and threatening the victim in forceful or aggressive language in order to scare them into paying taxes that they say the revenue agency is owed.
The caller will demand an immediate payment via credit card, or that the victim purchase a prepaid credit card and call them back immediately. They are typically threatened with charges, jail time, or deportation.
The CRA and RCMP say if you do receive a suspicious phone call like this, you should hang up immediately and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.