By Mandy Vocke

CRA scams targeting vulnerable people

Apr 26, 2019 | 3:50 PM

PRINCE GEORGE— Canadians lose over $100 million dollars annually to scams. Scammers and thieves are becoming more innovative in the ways they steal money. Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) scams are a relatively new form of fraud, which has been seen across the country, including in Prince George.

The scams reach many people, as the scammers hope their tactics will work on anyone, even if it’s a low percentage of people they contact.

“You figure if you send out ten million of these, and if you get 50 people to bite and send you $500 or $1,000, it is a successful approach for a lot of these scammers,” KPMG Partner Stan Mitchell says.

The scammers are claiming to be from the CRA and are targeting seniors and immigrants.

The CRA scammers are making calls, forcefully demanding money with an elaborate plan. The scammers tell people the police have been contacted and will arrest them. The scammers then contact local police requesting a wellness check on the people they’re trying to scam. When police show up for a wellness check, some people immediately assume they showed up to arrest them for owing money to the CRA. In order to avoid being arrested, many panic and promptly give scammers money, out of fear they will be arrested.

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If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from the CRA, you can ask them questions the CRA should have answers to, such as “When is my birthday?” or “What are the middle three numbers of my SIN number?”

If you believe you’ve been contacted by CRA scammers, contact the CRA, the Canadian Fraud Centre and the RCMP.

by Mandy Vocke

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CRA scams targeting vulnerable people

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