400 York residents complain to police about bogus tax calls

One Richmond Hill senior among many who called police

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 7, 2015
By Jeremy Grimaldi

When Lois Hancey got a call advising her that she was wanted for tax evasion, she was shocked.

That shock was only outdone when the 88-year-old discovered some 400 other York Region residents had complained of similar fraudulent calls.

"I think it's terrible," the former Richmond Hill regional councillor said. "I would imagine many people, including the elderly, that would have been very unsettled by a call like that, especially on a private telephone."

Hancey said she called RCMP and York Regional Police to report the scam, and called The Liberal newsroom suggesting other residents be warned.

Police issued an advisory this week about the scam when they became aware of the vast number of people who had been contacted via phone or email over the past month.

Investigators said many residents complained about a caller who identified himself as an agent from the Canadian Revenue Agency before telling them they are overdue in payment of taxes.

The unsuspecting person on the other end is then told they need to pay the amount owing in a variety of ways, including difficult to trace wire services, such as Western Union or through the purchase of gift cards.

Police said this type of scam has a number of variations and can include calling about issues with immigration papers and threats of deportation if people don't pay up.

On social media, people were sharing countless experiences with the fraudster phone calls, including one woman who almost fell victim. One commentator, using the screen name Meagan Whitehorn, said her family member was luckily warned that it was a scam at the very last minute.

"My great aunt went so far as to withdraw the money and go to Western Union to send the money," she wrote. “Thankfully, the teller talked her out of sending it, as the teller had seen four others come in over the past two weeks."

Another woman said her mother was inundated with calls by the scammers.

"My 85-year-old mom has received at least four calls saying that arrest warrants have been issued for her because of delinquent tax payments," wrote Marlene Harvey. "While she is smart enough to know not to give information over the phone, she was still concerned. They are preying on the most vulnerable of our society."

Police are asking people to be cautious and confirm any suspicious calls or emails they receive before providing any information or sending any money.

"If a situation feels suspicious, trust your instincts," Const. Laura Nicolle said. "Do not be talked into providing personal information or payments by methods that you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with and call back companies or agencies to verify information."

She added that the penalty for this type of crime is 14 years in prison and urged anyone who fell victim to contact police.

Despite the warning, these callers are often from overseas and are rarely arrested.

The number of calls placed to York Region homes was likely countless times higher than 400, considering the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has found only about 5 per cent of victims report frauds.

If you have been a victim of a fraud and have lost money, contact the York Regional Police major fraud unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6627. To report a fraud where you have not lost money,  contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.