Photo Credit: Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)  Source: Leeds 1000 Islands

The Leeds Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to warn the public of a telephone scam by imposters claiming to be Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees. The fraudsters advise the target that they owe thousands of dollars in back taxes to the CRA and the intended victim is often threatened with arrest and jail if they do not pay immediately.

Police are reminding residents that this is an ongoing scam.

Leeds OPP advises that if you receive a scam call from someone pretending to be from the CRA do the following:

• Do not take any immediate action
• Hang up and verify the information. Call a trusted family member, friend, or your bank to get a second opinion on the call. Verify the caller’s ID and the request by calling the CRA directly at 1-800-959-8281.
• Verify the status of your account by contacting the CRA at 1-800-959-8281.

Remember, the CRA will never threaten arrest or send police. The CRA does not request payment either by prepaid credit cards or gift cards. Also, remember that scammers can be extremely assertive and aggressive attempting to get this information.

To report a scam, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre Toll Free at 1-888-495-8501.

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Read the Public Notice on the Leeds1000Islands.ca website

If you have been a victim of a scam, by providing personal information or giving money, call the OPP non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122.