With tax time in full swing, local police are warning of an uptick in reports of a scam in which citizens are threatened with criminal proceedings unless they pay an outstanding tax bill.
“It just seems to be heating back up right now,” White Rock RCMP Sgt. Joel Glen said earlier this month. “Just yesterday, we had another five calls.”
The scam – in which callers purport to represent the Canada Revenue Agency – has been prevalent across Canada for months. It started keeping White Rock RCMP busy last fall.
The callers are aggressive, Glen said.
One senior who came to the Pacific Avenue detachment March 1 told police he was ready to send $3,500 off – until the caller insisted payment could only be made in cash. That’s when he went to police.
“These people, they were very, very aggressive with him,” Glen said, noting the senior said he’d been threatened with arrest. “He came into the office – this was after a week of calls back and forth – just the stress and anxiety he was feeling, you could feel it.
“He was losing sleep over it.”
Glen said the scam is not something police can investigate locally – the calls are coming from overseas, and the perpetrators use false phone records and identities.
"Unfortunately for us, these issues can only be reported to the Canada Revenue Agency and the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre."
Tips on the CAC website (http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/) for anyone who receives a similar call include to not act immediately – take the time to verify the information. If fraud is suspected, it can be reported to the CAC online, or toll-free at 1-888-495-8501.