VANCOUVER — If someone calls you, claims to be a tax collector, tells you that you owe thousands and threatens you with deportation if you don’t pay — trust your instincts, Delta police say, and hang up.
A call like this by a fraudster last month to a man in Delta caused such distress that the man found himself in the care of the B.C. Ambulance Service.
According to a release from the Delta police, the man took a call March 15. On the other end of the line was someone claiming to work for the Canada Revenue Agency and that the man owed $5,249 in unpaid taxes.
If the man didn’t pay up, the person on the phone threatened to arrest and deport the man’s family.
The man actually went to the bank and withdrew money and was on his way to make payment — apparently using a Bitcoin ATM — when he pulled over and walked into an ambulance station on Scott Road. The paramedics there spoke with him, calmed him down, and brought the police in to help.
“The gentleman made the right decision in asking for help,” said Cris Leykauf, public affairs coordinator for the Delta police. “And we’re very pleased the paramedic called police on his behalf. Because of those decisions the man has not lost any money, and is now aware of this type of fraud, and ways to protect himself in the future.”
According to Leykauf, several people who work for the Delta police have received similar calls. The calls appear to originate from numbers that suggest they’re calling from the CRA or a police department, but given the behaviour of the callers those numbers have almost certainly been faked.
“The real Canada Revenue Agency will not contact you suddenly by phone and demand immediate payment or threaten arrest,” Leykauf said. “If you’re in doubt, hang up.”
The CRA has a list of suggestions on how to deal with fraud attempts like this on their website.
