Red Deer RCMP continues to regularly receive reports from Red Deerians who have received phone messages from scammers claiming to be calling from Canada Revenue Agency. While these scammers used to call people directly, more recently they are tending to use pre-recorded automated messages claiming that the person they have contacted owes money in taxes and leaving a call back number.

As with any call a citizen receives requesting money, Red Deer RCMP urge citizens to independently verify the claims of any caller by hanging up, looking up the phone number for Canada Revenue Agency (or whichever organization the caller claims to represent) and calling them directly. Do not call back to a number given out by the person calling you.

Though scammers may use “number spoofing” to make it look like they’re calling from a local phone number or the number of a business or agency, the scammers are usually located outside of Canada, making it impossible for RCMP to locate them.

“All we can do is to warn people to ask questions, be skeptical of phone calls from anyone who is demanding money, and urge people to educate themselves about these very common scams,” says Corporal Karyn Kay of the Red Deer RCMP. “Check your facts and do your research, and be alert to red flags such as anyone demanding payment through gift cards or pre-paid credit cards. Then, when you get a call from a scammer, hang up and ignore them.”