Windsor family shaken by threatening scammer claiming to be from CRA
Experts say to contact your bank and police if you fall for a scam
A Windsor family is offering a word of warning Wednesday after receiving threatening calls from a man claiming to represent the Canada Revenue Agency.
The caller repeatedly contacted Dalal Fakih, telling her there was a warrant out for her arrest unless she paid back $19,000 in taxes.
The calls were so worrisome for the Windsor mother she brought them up with her daughter and son, who soon realized every time they pressed the caller for more information he would hang up — it was a scam.
CBC reporter Melissa Nakhavoly visited the family and called the scammer back. Watch what happened.
When asked to provide the address of the CRA building in Ottawa, the man on the other end of the line was unable to spell Heron Road, the street where the agency is based, correctly.
Fakih said she didn't understand what the caller was talking about and was frightened by his threats. It was the first time she had ever been contacted by a scam artist.
"It's hard work to [earn] money," she said. "We work hard and somebody [wants] to just come by and pick up everything you have, it's hard. I would like everybody to know to be careful and to be aware of what happened."
The call came on the same day the National Better Business Bureau released their top 10 scams, which featured income tax scams at number 6. Online purchase coming in at number 1.
The WFCU Credit Union also released some tips to protect people from scammers, particularly those who use the web to scam.
Contact your financial institution immediately, get direction from the qualified staff.- Steve Deneau, from WFCU Credit Union on what to do if you fall for a scam
Steve Deneau, vice president of business development for the credit union, had some advice for those you think they may have fallen for a scam.
"Contact your financial institution immediately, get direction from the qualified staff at that financial institution," he explained. "You might also want to contact one of the credit reporting bureaus ... let them know you suspect something has happened. They have some great services that allow you to have your account monitored."
Don't give private information over the phone
Officials advise people not to give our private information over the phone and to ask questions if you're unsure of whether or not a caller is legitimate.
If someone does fall for a scam, they're advised to contact their bank, the police and agencies like the Better Business Bureau.