If you get a phone call, email or text message saying you owe money to a government agency or bank and you have to pay immediately by Interac E-transfer, credit card, or gift card like Amazon, iTunes and others to avoid being arrested – HANG UP IT’S A SCAM!

Winnipeg Police Service says that there are currently people in Winnipeg being targeted by scammers claiming to be a criminal investigator and that money is owed to a government agency like the CRA

Sometimes the scammer will tell the victim to call the Winnipeg Police non-emergency line to confirm that an investigation is underway. The victim believes they have started a new call but in reality, the scammer remained on the line.

In some cases the scammer has cloned the caller ID from Winnipeg Police and tries to convince the caller to transfer a large amount of money.

To avoid being scammed here are a few tips to follow

1. Be cautious of any unexpected calls from a bank, government agencies or even the police. Take reasonable steps to confirm the identities of the caller.
2. Do not trust caller ID as being accurate they are very easily spoofed
3. Government agencies like the CRA will never use aggressive language and will never threaten you with arrest or say they are sending the police.
4. Government agencies will never demand immediate payment by Interac e-transfers, credit cards, gift cards, bitcoins or wire transfers
5. If the call seems suspicious in any way or if you feel uncomfortable HANG UP!
6. If you call an agency back look up their number on their official website to ensure you are actually calling the agency.

If you have been scammed you can report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/

© News4.ca 2020