STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.

RCMP warning of tax scam

Mar 23, 2018 | 10:11 AM

Grande Prairie RCMP has received reports of aggressive phone calls from people claiming to be collecting money for the Canada Revenue Agency. 

Police say the scam most commonly involves the caller telling someone that they owe taxes and if they aren’t paid immediately, a warrant will be put out for their arrest. The caller will request gift cards or prepaid credit cards.

The scammer may sometimes use a “spoof” phone number so that the call will appear as the CRA on the display. 

Officers want people to keep the following in mind.: 

-There is no legitimate agency, CRA, RCMP, or otherwise, that will accept payment in the form of gift cards or prepaid credit cards.
-If you feel the call may be legitimate, hang up the phone and look up the number for the CRA to call and get verification. Do not call back the number on your call display.
-If the caller alludes to police or RCMP involvement, hang up and call your local RCMP or police detachment directly for verification.

Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center online to report calls of this kind.

If you have fallen victim to this scam and have already paid out gift cards or money, Grande Prairie RCMP would like you to go to the detachment to file a report.