New Brunswick resident turns CRA phone scam around, calls fraudster back

RCMP are warning people to watch out for some particularly threatening and disturbing scam phone calls.

The fraudsters have ramped up the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) telephone scam, and are getting crafty, posing as police threatening to arrest people if they don’t pay back taxes.

“For a while they were using the toll free number for the Canada Revenue Agency so that was the number coming up on people’s phones and more recently they are actually the number for the local RCMP detachment so it looks like it’s legitimate,” said RCMP Const. Jullie Rogers-Marsh.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "For a while they were using the toll free number for the Canada Revenue Agency so that was the number coming up on people's phones and more recently they are actually the number for the local RCMP detachment so it looks like it's legitimate," said RCMP Const. Jullie Rogers-Marsh.

A personal scare

Joe Farquhar of Dieppe got one of the disturbing calls this week.

“If I didn’t call back the guy said something along the lines that all I can do is wish you the best of luck if I don’t hear back from you or your lawyer.”

Farquhar called the number back and was shocked to hear what sounded like a police officer on the other end.

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“This is officer Carl Cooper and you have reach tax crime,” said the voice on the other end of the phone.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is officer Carl Cooper and you have reach tax crime," said the voice on the other end of the phone.

Joe was told he had been charged with tax fraud and owed the CRA almost $5,000. He was told that he didn’t clear the matter up, the police would come knocking.

The caller also said if he didn’t comply, all of his assets including his bank account would be frozen and his social insurance number would be blacklisted, preventing him from accessing any government income assistance.

“I think they are a menace I think they should be criminally charged if we are able to track them down.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think they are a menace I think they should be criminally charged if we are able to track them down."

That’s something the RCMP say is not an easy task as the origin of the calls is difficult to track, but they are investigating.

READ MORE: ‘How-to deal with fraudsters’ advice issued from N.B. RCMP

Rogers-Marsh says RCMP have had more than 100 complaints filed regarding these types of scam phone calls in the last month alone.

“We’ve had a couple of close calls where people have actually gone to the bank and taken money out, but thankfully they check with us before they sent the money,” she said.

RCMP are asking the public if they do get such a call to simply hang up, report the call to the Anti-fraud Centre of Canada and never provide any personal information.

If you have been defrauded in any way, so if you’ve sent money, call police.