News Release - Winnipeg Police Service

Thursday, April 6, 2017     Fraud Warning - Taxation Scam Winnipeg Police continue to receive reports of attempts at phone-based Tax Scam. The fraudsters will contact the victim pretending to be the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or in some cases a police officer.  The fraudsters will try to obtain your personal information and will then tell you that you have outstanding taxes.  Unfortunately they are often very aggressive even going as far as saying that they have the police at the victim's residence to arrest them or a family member if they do not pay immediately.  Winnipeg Police are aware that in at least one case the fraudsters "spoofed" the victim's home phone number when calling him on his cell phone. This caused the victim to fear that government agents were in his home to collect Taxes. The fraudsters also seem to target new Canadians as they are not as familiar with the Canadian tax or justice system. The fraudster will direct the victim to pay their outstanding taxes by going to a store and purchasing a prepaid credit or gift card or by going to a money transfer business.  Once the fraudster has the details from the prepaid card or the money transfer has been sent, often out of Canada, the money is lost and cannot be recovered. Tips to remember: The Canada Revenue Agency has your identity information and will not use the phone to solicit it. The CRA will never ask you to purchase gift cards or to attend a money transfer business. If you do receive a phone call, contact the CRA, with a phone number that you look up, to confirm the details. If you would like to learn more about tax scams or other types of fraud, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca Protect yourself: never agree to requests for payment without researching the validity of the caller.         For further information contact either:  Constable Jason Michalyshen, Public Information Officer  Constable Rob Carver, Public Information Officer  Kelly Dehn, Manager of Public Affairs    Phone: (204) 986-3061 | Fax: (204) 986-3267 | Email: WPS-PIO@Winnipeg.ca Share this mailing with your social network by clicking on the appropriate link:       Related Winnipeg Police Service Report a Crime Online Crime Stoppers CrimeStat Unsubscribe If you do not want to receive these emails anymore, unsubscribe.    Please do not reply to this email. This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address and replies are not monitored. Mailing address: City of Winnipeg, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3B 1B9 Privacy Statement The City of Winnipeg values your privacy. We do not sell or share your personal information with third parties. You are receiving this email as a result of your signing up for the Winnipeg Police Service Email News list offered on the City of Winnipeg website. You may unsubscribe or change your subscription options at any time.