Published Jan. 23 2018

Haliburton Highlands Ontario Provincial Police has received several complaints from residents of Haliburton County regarding a common scam with a fraudster impersonating a representative of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).  Whether by telephone or by email the pitch involves one of two variations. The fraudsters are demanding that outstanding taxes are paid by a money service business or by pre-paid debit/credit cards; or they are phishing for identification in order to fulfill a potential refund.

The tactics used by these fraudsters are quite aggressive persistent and meant to cause panic in the victims. Consumers and businesses may receive a notification by phone or email that they owe “back taxes” as the result of an audit. The payment must be made immediately to avoid a fine or the recipient is told there is an outstanding warrant that can be avoided if the payment is made promptly. In many cases individuals are told they will be arrested if the taxes are not paid right away.

Submitted