The Barrie Police Service is warning the public that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam appears to be making its rounds again in the Barrie area and sadly has claimed more victims.
This scam is known to be presented in a number of different ways, but usually involves receiving a call over the phone and being told that you owe money as a result of a recent review done on a tax return and that failing to pay it will result in your arrest by your local police service. The caller will then, in great detail, will identify a means by which the under-payment or in some cases the over-payment can be paid back.
If at anytime during a phone call such as this you hear the terms Google Play Cards or Bitcoin, police are strongly encouraging members of our community to hang up as this is often the means by which the fraudsters will try to obtain payment.
If you are ever in doubt about the validity of a call that you receive that sounds like this, it is best to hang up and reach out to your nearest CRA office.
For additional information on fraud or to report an incident involving this type of scam, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or http://www.antifraudcentre.ca.
| Prepared by: | Corporate Communications Coordinator, Peter Leon |