It happened to my ninety-year-old father a couple of weeks ago and today it happened to me. I received a robo-call from someone claiming to be with Canada Revenue Agency demanding that I call a certain number to settle an outstanding income tax payment. The caller had a Caribbean accent, gave an identity number and suggested that unless I called back within twenty-four hours I would need the assistance of an attorney as they would not be responsible for the consequences, or words to that effect.
Scamming innocent seniors is a sad way to illegally extort money. The majority of Canadians are law-abiding citizens and we play by the rules, which means we pay our taxes, however grudgingly, but we generally comply with Canadian law. That’s part of the privilege of living in our wonderful country. The criminals who make these calls target anyone, not just seniors. Like the Nigerian heirs who supposedly need a safe Canadian bank to deposit their fortune, these scammers are without conscience. Someone in a call centre somewhere is making thousands of calls and if only a fraction of one percent of those they call respond to their demands for money or personal information, then it’s worth their while.
Please warn those you know, seniors or otherwise, to be aware of these scams. Revenue Canada only mails official documents that come with an official Revenue Canada mailing address and return envelope. We hear about unfortunate people being duped despite the constant warnings on TV news, but the scams obviously have a degree of success because they continue.
Because I was curious about the level of threat being made, I listened to the entire pre-recorded message, then I hung up. I wish I’d made a note of the telephone number they were calling from so I could report it to Canada Revenue Agency’s anti-fraud centre. Please do not let someone you know fall for this. Get the word out. It’s tax season and there are many who are vulnerable. Here’s a link to CRA’s advice on the issue: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/nwsrm/lrts/2015/l150610-eng.html
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There is a special place in hell for those who take advantage of people like this – especially vulnerable seniors.
Amen, girlfriend.
Sent from my iPad Lynda Davis Follow me at: boomerbroadcast.net
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After returning from a winter in Florida, we too had several threatening messages on our answering machine from Revenue Canada……very frightening and official sounding. I would have been concerned had I not had an intelligent friend of mine experience these calls a few months ago and reacted to the calls to find out they were frauds. The number that appears on my phone display is an Ottawa area code 613-366-5123. Every threatening call I received was from this number and the urgency and threat of the message was stronger and more intimidating with each call they placed. I can’t imagine… Read more »
Scary stuff. Thanks for your comment.  Lynda Davis Follow my blog at: http://www.boomerbroadcast.net Social commentary on life from a Boomer Broad’s perspective e-mail: lyndadavis1@yahoo.ca For further insights into the Boomer perspective on business, fashion, mind and body, order my new book, BOOMERBROADcast. It makes a great hostess, birthday or Christmas gift. Click on this link: http://www.lulu.com or http://www.amazon.com