Kitchener-Waterloo

Guelph resident loses almost $10K in CRA scam, say police

Guelph Police are investigating after a city resident reportedly lost $10,000 to scammers pretending to be from the Canada Revenue Agency.
A 28-year-old Guelph, Ont., man has been arrested following a police pursuit during which two police cruisers and a third vehicle were hit. The man faces a number of charges including escaping lawful custody, dangerous driving and drug possession. (Colin Butler/CBC News)

A Guelph resident has lost $10,000 to a scam phone call from a person pretending to be from the Canada Revenue Agency, police say.

Police did not release any other details specific to the case, but noted that scam calls and emails that claim to be from the CRA have increased recently.

The phone scams involve someone pretending to be from the CRA and attempting to bully the target into paying a fictitious debt to the tax agency.

The scam emails might contain malicious software that can harm a recipient's computer or be used to steal their personal information. The emails frequently ask the recipients to click on a link to complete a registration on a website that pretends to be a CRA site, and asks for personal information.