Over the past number of days the Chestermere RCMP Detachment have received a number of complaints from local residents saying they have received telephone calls from people claiming to be representatives from the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). Residents need to be aware there are a number of active scams by criminals posing as members of the Canada Revenue Agency attempting to obtain funds illegally. The Chestermere RCMP wish to advise police do not actively assist CRA with collections of money.
The Canada Revenue Agency has identified fraudulent issues on their web site located at www.cra-arc.gc.ca stating;
“Taxpayers should be vigilant when they receive, either by telephone, mail, text message or email, a fraudulent communication that claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requesting personal information such as a social insurance number, credit card number, bank account number, or passport number.
These scams may insist that this personal information is needed so that the taxpayer can receive a refund or a benefit payment. Cases of fraudulent communication could also involve threatening or coercive language to scare individuals into paying fictitious debt to the CRA. Other communications urge taxpayers to visit a fake CRA website where the taxpayer is then asked to verify their identity by entering personal information. These are scams and taxpayers should never respond to these fraudulent communications or click on any of the links provided.
To identify communications not from the CRA, be aware of these guidelines. If you receive a call saying you owe money to the CRA, you can call us or check My Account to be sure.”
Chestermere RCMP encourage residents to be aware of these fraudulent attempts to obtain funds and to confirm with the Canada Revenue Agency directly should they have any questions or concerns.
