Ottawa, ON – Fraudulent phone calls are on the rise and the people making these calls are using increasingly sophisticated methods to carry out their schemes. For example, the practice of spoofing phone numbers has allowed some perpetrators to give the impression they are calling from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or the RCMP, giving victims a false sense of security.
Anyone who receives a mysterious phone call from CRA, the RCMP or any other entity threatening penalties and looking for personal tax information should consider the call suspicious.
“That’s not how these organizations operate,” says Collins Barrow Ottawa partner Rosa Maria Iuliano. “If you’re getting a call from CRA or the RCMP, there’s a very good chance you’re being deceived. When confronted with the promise of hefty fines and penalties related to tax, it’s tempting to co-operate – in an effort to negotiate the problem away – but there’s no reason to place trust in an unfamiliar caller.”
The best way for clients to deal with a phone call regarding taxes is to (a) keep all personal information (including their affiliation with Collins Barrow) private, (b) immediately contact their CB advisor and (c) let us take it from there. This is the benefit to having an advisor — for advice when it is needed. Even if the person calling claims to be from Collins Barrow, there is a chance a deception is occurring. Rather than answer this person’s questions, clients should call them back at the number they would ordinarily use, ensuring they are truly speaking to their trusted advisor.
You can learn more about fraud situations and ways to protect yourself from CRA and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. However, the best protection from fraudulent calls is to be cautious and diligent whenever answering the phone. Before allowing an alarming phone call to incite panic, clients are encouraged to contact Collins Barrow and let us deal with the situation.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
