CRA scams on the rise as tax season gets underway

Tax season has started and as Canadians prepare to fill out their forms, officials are urging people to be cautious ofCanadaRevenue Agency (CRA)scams that are already on the rise.

According to Ottawa police, thesescams happen all year, but there's usuallyan increase in complaints starting inMarch until the end of April because scammers target people during tax season.

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"We are getting several calls a day about this, so it's happening quite a bit. I know I've gotten [a scam call] at home as well," said Sgt. Stephanie Burns, head of the Ottawa policeorganized fraud section.

Scammers, who pose as CRA agents, will useemails, phone calls and even text messages to get money and personal information.

Often the phone calls seem urgent and the scammers will use aggressive language or threats to scare people into making payments.

A spokesperson from the government agency said it's important to know that the CRA will never send payment notices or ask for personal information through e-mail, texts or phone calls.

Notices are delivered by mail or throughMy Account services on the CRA website.

More than $10M lost since 2014

TheRCMPbegan trackingCRA scams in 2014.

Since then, there have been over 56,000 complaints to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and a loss of over $10 million, saidRCMPSgt. Guy PaulLarocque.

In2017 alone there were 12,000 complaints and $3 millionlost through CRA scams.

Burns said the CRA scams work because people are reactive.

"Everyone seems to scared of the CRAand whenever you get a phone call saying you're in trouble with them, people want to fix it right away," said Burns.

"But the government is not a thug. They will not come knocking your door down."

Scams hard to shut down

Burns said the CRA scams aredifficult to shut downbecause it'shard for authorities to pinpoint where these operations are occurring.

She said the phoney calls are coming from fake numbers created online throughcomputer technology which is able to change phone numbers, makingit hard for police totrack down the scammers.

She said police will get complaints about these calls but by the time they investigate further,the number is out of service.

Most of these scams are operating overseas, which adds another layer of complexity.

"This is a mass-marketing,organized fraud scam.This is not just one person,"said Burns, adding that investigations into scams are very lengthy, expensive, and take a lot of resources.

She said that if people do make payments to these scammers through gift cards or if the money leaves the country, it'simpossible for authorities to track.

Elderly people more vulnerable

Although everyone is at risk of falling victim to these scams, elderly people are among the most vulnerable.

Wanda Morris is thevice president of advocacyfor CARP,an association that advocates for older Canadians.

She saidas people get older their critical thinking skills diminish and they become more susceptible to things like bad investments or scams.

Morris said that unlike millennials, who have grown up in the digital world, older people aren'tas familiar with technology and it might beharder for them to identify a scam.

She said that these fake CRA websitesor emails look identical to the official site which makes it even trickierfor older people.

Morris said it's important for people who are concerned to ask for a second opinion and not to rush into making a payment or accepting a refund.

Burns also echoed this advice and said people should hang up on a calls and not respond to emails or texts that seem fraudulent.

She added that people can call theCRA directly at 1-800-959-8281 if they are concerned.

People who have been scammed should contact the local policeand report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.