By Veronica Beltran

don't let the scammers scam you

Don’t fall for the phone or internet scam: Tips from RCMP

Oct 16, 2019 | 10:20 AM

PRINCE GEORGE–Fraud reports continue to flood local RCMP, the most common type of fraud being the tax fraud.

Fraudsters will impersonate employees of the Canada Revenue Agency and will call or e-mail the victim saying that a payment must be made immediately or an arrest warrant will be issued by the RCMP. They then instruct victims to wire money or purchase cash cards in order to pay them, in some cases victims are even told to transfer money into specific bank accounts. If the payment is not made right away, the fraudsters will continue to call, becoming aggressive.

PG RCMP want to remind the public that in a legitimate case where someone does owe money, there are processes in place to allow payment or dispute long before any warrants are issued and police become involved.

Police say that if you are receiving these calls and emails to contact the Canada Revenue Agency before taking further action. “Police are asking everyone to make fraud a topic of everyday conversation,” says Cpl. Craig Douglass, spokesperson for the Prince George RCMP. “Make sure everyone knows what to look for and how to avoid being a victim of fraud.”

To learn more about fraud click here.

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Tips from the RCMP:

• Do not take immediate action. The government has processes in place to acquire owed money, none of which are immediate;
• Know who you are dealing with. Obtain their contact information and search it on the internet. Often the contact info will be associated to frauds and not the CRA. This is a clear warning that this is not legitimate;
• Hang-up and call the Canada Revenue Service. CRA, like most government agencies, have a toll free phone number in the blue pages of the phone book or from their website, www.cra-arc.gc.ca;
• Never give your personal information to anyone that calls you over the phone. This is especially the case when an organization such as the Canada Revenue Agency calls and should have all your necessary information already;
• Never agree to wire back funds to the government. Our governments do not do business this way

Other frauds include:

Emergency or “grandparent” scam: A popular scam targets grandparents and involves wiring money to loved ones in urgent need of money. The victim receives a phone call and upon answering, they hear “Hi grandma/grandpa, do you know who this is?” The grandparent usually replies with a name and without even realizing it, they just provided the fraud artist with the name of a grandchild. From there, they ask for money to get them out of jail or to cover costs of a car accident or some other variation where they are out of town and need financial help. Usually there is some sort of request not to tell anyone about the incident. Often the grandparent is so eager to help; they rush down to wire money without checking the story. The victims truly believe they were talking to the family member. Some variations involve a lawyer calling on behalf of the grandchild;

The prize pitch: Consumers receive a call and are told they won a prize or two. The prizes usually include cash or a vehicle. The “winner” must purchase a product or pay the tax in advance to receive their prize. Variations include calls from “customs” representatives wanting you pay the duty on the “prize” as well as a request for a credit card number so that the money can be deposited into your account;

Anti-virus scams: Some frauds involve fraudsters identifying themselves as representatives from software companies stating that your computer is slow or has a virus. Often they request remote access to your computer over the internet. By allowing them access, you open yourself (and your computer) to inherent risks. ‘Keylogger’ or virus programs can be installed and can provide the criminals with sensitive information including user IDs and passwords. Another variation involves cyber-crime investigators stating that your computer has been used to “hack” websites;

Phishing e-mails: Victims receive an e-mail appearing to be from a legitimate business, often a bank or financial institution. The e-mail states that your personal information or account has been compromised and requests you click on a provided internet link. The link leads to a web page where you are requested to enter personal or financial information;

Rental property scam: Victims have advertised a rental property on a classified ad website. A fraudster from out of town contacts the property owner and rents the property. A cheque is sent in excess of the amount required for rent and deposit. The victim wires the remaining money back to the fraud artist. When the cheque doesn’t clear, the victim is out the money they wired;

Cheque cashing scam: Victims are approached by a person or persons on the street. They request that the victim cash a cheque for them, as they “lost their ID”. The victim deposits the check and then withdraws the cash and provides it to the criminal(s);

Website classified ads: An item is offered for sale on a popular classified website. The buyer agrees to wire money to the seller in advance and never receives the item.