EDMONTON- It seems to rear its ugly head every year around tax time, but this year there is a twist to a common phone scam involving a false phone number display.
RCMP are reminding Albertans not to fall victim to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam. The scam typically involves a victim receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be an employee with the CRA.
The person tells the victim they owe taxes and will be arrested if they do not pay immediately.
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Strathmore RCMP have received multiple complaints regarding this scam.
Here’s the twist: in one case, the victim was called by a suspect claiming he was an RCMP member. The suspect had somehow managed to falsely display the Strathmore RCMP’s non-emergency phone number. This led the victim to believe the call had originally come from the local RCMP detachment, police said Sunday.
READ MORE: Tax season brings tax scams
Here’s the best way to protect yourself: Strathmore RCMP are urging people who receive calls like this to verify the validity of the call in person.
And a reminder: the RCMP does not threaten arrest for money owed.
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