Irene McHarg-Coey, BBM, CPA, CMA
510 Bay Street P1P 1H8 Gravenhurst, ON, Canada

OPP WARNS OF TAX TIME PHONE SCAM In the past few days, the West Parry Sound Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received several complaints from l...ocal residents who had received phone calls from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) stating that they owed money and that there was an outstanding warrant of arrest if not paid. This scam has been reported in the past, however, the scammers are coinciding this scam with income tax-paying time. Police want you to: Hang up immediately if there's anything suspicious or unprofessional about the call - the CRA will NEVER threaten you with immediate arrest, use abusive language or send police. The CRA will NEVER request payment by Interac e-transfer, online currency such as bitcoin, pre-paid credit cards or pre-paid gift cards such as iTunes, Home Depot, etc. The CRA's accepted methods of payment are online banking, debit card, credit card or PayPal through a third-party service provider and pre-authorized debit. For more options go to the Government of Canada website and search CRA make a payment. If you or someone you know suspects they have been targeted by a phone call scam, contact your local OPP detachment, nearest police authority, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or p3tips.com.