Victoria Police are crediting a quick thinking 101-year-old senior who may have prevented others from falling victim to the CRA scam.
Like many others in Victoria, the woman got a phone call claiming she had outstanding taxes and that she was about to be prosecuted unless she paid an immediate, reduced fine.
Police say the centenarian didn’t buy into the scam and quickly informed support staff at James Bay New Horizons Centre about the aggressive phone call.
As James Bay New Horizons staff spoke with local residents, they discovered that two of their members had fallen victim to the scammers.
One resident lost $450 – half her monthly rent – to the convincing scammers. Another resident lost $600.
The non-profit James Bay New Horizons Centre gathered the funds to cover the rent. Staff have reached out to various nearby partners in the community to inform them of the scam.
The “Canada Revenue Agency” scam is typified by unsolicited calls to unsuspecting victims. The fraudsters, who are often aggressive, claim the potential victim has fraudulently mispresented their tax returns and are facing legal action.
Often the fraudster claim police are on their way to arrest the potential victim unless he or she pays an immediate reduced fine. With the scammers often calling from overseas locations, once paid, victims are often left with little recourse to recover their lost funds.
With fraudsters preying on the elderly, investigators also ask that you speak with your older relatives and friends about this potential scam.
If you, or someone you know has fallen victim to the “CRA” scam, please call the VicPD non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654. If someone has attempted to scam you, but you’ve not fallen for it, please share your story with someone close to you.
