Police warn of scammers in lead-up to tax season
Posted February 9, 2020 10:15 am.
Last Updated February 9, 2020 10:21 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Revenue Canada is once again getting ready for your tax filings, and Mounties in B.C. are warning that thieves are also busy preparing ways to steal your identity this tax season.
With tax filing due at the end of April, Sgt. Peter DeVries with North Vancouver RCMP says, scammers are already starting to make the rounds, including fake phone calls warning you that you might already be facing a fine or worse.
DeVries says a common trick has the scammer ask you for your name and other vital information that the Canada Revenue Agency might need, threatening you with fines or prison if you don’t comply.
“That’s simply not the way our laws in Canada work. It’s not the way our tax laws work, and the CRA does not call and ask people to pay,” he tells NEWS 1130.
DeVries also recommends you keep your mailboxes clean, saying a full box is often a lure for thieves during tax season, hoping to find forms with your personal information that they can use to steal your identity.
