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The Coquitlam RCMP says someone is impersonating the Canada Revenue Agency and the scam saw a resident give away $8,000.
The Coquitlam man received a phone call from the impersonator, who told the victim that he owed money to the government. The caller threatened that the man would be arrested by the RCMP if he failed to pay.
The caller had also ‘spoofed’ the Coquitlam RCMP non-emergency phone line, leading the victim to believe that the call had originated from the local RCMP detachment.
“Understandably, the victim felt threatened and was fearful of being arrested if he did not comply with payment,” said Cst. Jamie Phillipson of the Coquitlam RCMP. “Under no circumstances would the Canada Revenue Agency or any law enforcement threaten arrest for money owed.”
The CRA scam was one of the most popular ways to fraudulently obtain money in 2015 and continues to be an issue.
Police are asking the public to be aware of these types of phone calls. If you are the recipient of such a call, please hang up immediately and notify the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
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