From demanding gift cards to fake arrest warrants, Saskatoon police warn of fake CRA calls

There has been a recent uptick of Saskatoon residents receiving phone calls from scam artists working under the guise of the Canada Revenue Agency, according to the Saskatoon Police Service.

The complaints coming in to Saskatoon police range fromwould-bescammersusing aggressive language to threaten people into paying fictitious debt via gift cards, to the complainant being told there is a warrant out for their arrest.

In the gift card scenario, victims are being instructed to provide authorization codes for the gift cards over the phone.

Two such recent incidents have led to people being defrauded, police said in a news release.

With more complaints making their way to the desks of the Saskatoon police, they are reminding the public that the CRA does not request pay via gift cards and does not communicate in the way described in the aforementioned complaints.

Attempted frauds can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre onlineor by phone at 1-888-495-8501.

If you have been defrauded by the scammers, thefrauds can be reported to Saskatoon Police Service at 306-975-8300.