Heads up, if you get a call from a so-called Canada Revenue Agency person asking you to pay a debt or get arrested, just hang up.
The West Parry Sound Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says residents in the area have been getting scam calls stating they owed money to the CRA and that there was an outstanding warrant of arrest if not paid.Â
OPP say this scam is not new, however, the scammers are coinciding this time with income tax-paying season.
Police say the CRA will NEVER threaten you with immediate arrest, use abusive language or send police.
Neither would the CRA ever request payment by Interac e-transfer, online currency such as bitcoin, pre-paid credit cards or prepaid gift cards.
For more information on how to actually pay, go to the Government of Canada website and search CRA make a payment.
If you or someone you know suspects they have been targeted by a phone call scam, contact your local OPP detachment, nearest police authority, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or go to p3tips.com