Police want you to be on the lookout for potential scammers as you prepare your income taxes.
With taxes due on April 30th, Central Hastings OPP is reminding you to be wary of anyone calling you claiming to be with the Canada Revenue Agency.
There are a number of warning signs the person contacting you is a scammer. Constable Lisa Robson says the CRA doesn’t collect money by email, text message, phone, through a money service, or by pre-paid debit or credit cards. Robson also says the CRA is not in the business of threatening people, but scammers are.
Robson also says you can take steps to protect yourself from becoming a victim. That includes never giving out personal information to someone you don’t know. Robson also says it’s important to be skeptical of any caller you don’t know.
If you’ve been contacted by a fraudster, you are being encouraged to call the CRA to report it. If you’ve been the victim of fraud, Robson says you should report it to your local OPP detachment.