Watch for scammers claiming to be the government

Fraudsters have been calling Hamilton residents and claiming to be the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), local police say. And they want people to be wary.

With the scam, someone calls claiming to be with the CRA. The person says that you owe the government money and that you have to pay immediately, police say.

In some cases, the scammers have identified themselves as Hamilton Police officers.

Here's how you can tell the difference:

• The CRA does not ask for personal information of any kind via email.
• The CRA doesn't give out taxpayer information to another person unless the taxpayer formally authorizes it.
• The CRA won't leave personal information or threatening messages on an answering machine.

If you receive one of these calls, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or antifraudcentre.ca.

Find more information at cra-arc.gc.ca/fraudprevention.

If you have been a victim of this fraud, call Hamilton Police at 905-546-4925.