Canada Revenue Agency warns Albertans over tax scam
CRA never leaves personal information on answering machines or demands payment by wire
Albertans are being warned about a scam where a con artist poses as a government tax collector.
Azim Premji said he received a voicemail message asking him to call the Canada Revenue Agency immediately.
When he called the number he was given, he was told he'd made a mistake on his tax return.
He said it sounded convincing and frightening.
"The phone number, 613 area code, is Ottawa," he said. "Plus, they literally told me that they will come to my home or my work, and arrest me.
"It was scary," he said. "I talked to two different people there (who said) that if you don't pay within the next 24 to 48 hours you'll be arrested."
Premji said he recognized it was all a scam once he was told to wire money using Western Union.
The Canada Revenue Agency said it gets calls every day from people who have been called by fraudsters masquerading as agents.
"They think they're doing what the government requires (of) them and they're being taken advantage of," said spokesperson Joanne de Waal. "They're victims."
The CRA never leaves personal information on answering machines or demands payment by wire or credit card, she said.
With files from CBC's Mark Harvey