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BC  

CRA scam still active

A Coquitlam man is $8,000 poorer after receiving a phone call from someone impersonating a Canadian Revenue Agency Officer.

The bogus CRA representative told the victim he owed money to the government and would be arrested by the RCMP if he failed to pay.

Const. Jamie Phillipson said the caller had also 'spoofed' the Coquitlam RCMP non-emergency phone line, leading the victim to believe the call had originated from the local RCMP detachment.

Spoofing is when the caller presents a fake number that will appear on the call display of the recipient.

“Understandably, the victim felt threatened and was fearful of being arrested if he did not comply with payment,” said Phillipson of the Coquitlam RCMP. “Under no circumstances would the Canadian Revenue Agency or any law enforcement threaten arrest for money owed.”

The CRA scam was one of the most popular ways to fraudulently obtain money in 2015 and continues to be an issue.

“Police are asking the public to be aware of these types of phone calls. If you are the recipient of such a call, please hang up immediately and notify the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre,” said Phillipson.

For more information regarding the CRA telephone scam, please visit the Canadian Revenue Agency website.

The Coquitlam RCMP will continue to investigate in order to determine the source and identity of the caller.



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