New CRA scam in Metro Vancouver threatens victims with deportation
A “distraught” man who who showed up at the BC Ambulance Service Centre on Scott Road in Delta and claimed people “were after him,” helped tip-off police to a new CRA scam that’s targeting unsuspecting victims.
In a release on Monday, Delta Police said they responded to the March 15 incident and spoke with the man, who told officers he had received a phone call that morning from someone claiming to work for the Canada Revenue Agency.
The fraudster reportedly told the man that he owed $5,249 in unpaid taxes and that he and his family would be arrested and deported if he did not pay immediately.
“The man had withdrawn money from the bank and was on route to a Bitcoin ATM when he pulled into the Ambulance station,” said Delta PD spokesperson Cris Leykauf. “The gentleman made the right decision in asking for help.”
Leykauf noted that the CRA scam is “particularly prevalent in Delta right now” and that scammers “can spoof legitimate phone numbers.”
In fact, Leykauf said she and others at Delta Police have also recently been contacted on their work and home phones by fraudsters.
Fraudsters may be using phone numbers that appear to come from the CRA or police, but “these phone numbers can easily mimicked by criminals through app technology,” she said.“The real Canada Revenue Agency will not contact you suddenly by phone and demand immediate payment, or threaten arrest.”
This type of deception involving the CRA was listed as one of the top 10 scams in Canada last year by the Better Business Bureau.
As always, if you have any doubt about the authenticity of the call, it’s best to just hang up.