"45 minutes from now you will get a call from the police coming to arrest you"

Started by Darren Dirt, June 07, 2016, 10:19:40 AM

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Darren Dirt

So some east Indian angry-sounding voice just called me (or rather I returned their computerized voicemail that talked about lawyers and legal fees and arrests or something).

He claimed he was from some special division of CRA, he even gave me his "Badge ID" (as if that means anything).


He quickly got to the point of the call, that I was about to be arrested!

The phone # he called from was 855-881-8144 ... so AFTER the phone call ended *** (see below) I searched online that #, and saw countless others complaining about this obvious scamming attempt, trying to use fear and the threat of "45 minutes from now you will get another call from the police coming to arrest you".


https://duckduckgo.com/?q=contact+CRA+855-881-8144&ia=web

(a bunch of results for that phone # also showed they might instead claim to be from the IRS -- I guess if they know you are in USA not Canada)



There are PLENTY of other ways scammers try to get personal information and/or "hush money" from people, so BE AWARE, BE WARNED, BE SAFE.


*** DO NOT GIVE IN TO THEIR FEAR TACTICS during THEIR phone call (and do not give them any personal information)!

Instead do what I did -- calmly ask them for all the details, while giving none of your own details. Politely state that it is weird that nothing was mailed since I have current address on file with CRA. Then tell them you will call the main CRA contact number and follow-up with those details... watch them hang up in a hurry!


more info about stuff like this, including some other examples to watch out for, @ the CRA webpage "Protect yourself against fraud"

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/fraudprevention/



Yeesh, I work in IT and chat with my IT security officer etc. so I *KNOW* about these kind of phising scams... yet even I felt emotionally stirred up and on the defense ... imagine the average person (especially vulnerable seniors, non-techies, etc.) how easily they would believe this to be real. :(

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Darren Dirt

http://www.scamcallfighters.com/scam-call-8558818144-CRA-Officer-wants-tax-payment-on-iTunes-Card--855-881-8144-Tax-Scam-44393.html
Quote

The CRA will never call anyone "out of the blue" and ask to pay. It will send notices by mail. Tax payers will get enough time to respond and dispute claims.

The CRA will always send written notice through the Canadian postal system of any taxes due, and will never ask for credit, debit or prepaid card details by any form of communication

Please report the scam call to the CRA and the Anti Fraud Center

Call CRA: 1-800-959-828

File complaint online at: Canadian National anti-fraud call centre ( http://www.antifraudcentre.ca/reportincident-signalerincident/index-eng.htm )

Or Call: 1-888-495-8501 / Email: info@antifraudcentre.ca

Also, do register your number with
National Do Not Call List -- Canada and also file complaint -- https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng


BTW this was my WORK phone # so I am definitely making sure I add that # to the DNCL ... presuming I am "authorized" to do so...
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Tom

They will eventually make calls, but they are still typically friendly and non confrontational, unless you catch them on a bad day. I know first hand ;) they'll call and try to arrange a payment plan if you're way behind.
<Zapata Prime> I smell Stanley... And he smells good!!!

Lazybones

If the CRA ever calls and leaves a voice mail they leave the public toll free number that is easy to verify and a reference number or contact name for you to call back.

I have had some of these FAKE ones as well.

Melbosa

They won't call most likely... my Mother worked for them for many years.  If they need you to do something they will send you a registered letter more likely than a phone call.
Sometimes I Think Before I Type... Sometimes!

Thorin

Mistake number one was calling back to the number they left on your voice mail.  You are now on a list of "active numbers", and will likely get shopped around for other scammers to call.  Better to just completely ignore the voice mail.

Good that you didn't give any info.  I've gotten to the point where I don't even try to be polite to scammers on the phone or at the door.  I just hang up without another word and / or close the door in their face.

My daughter was pretty surprised to see me close the door in the face of a "Direct Energy" employee (not a Direct Energy employee) asking to see my billing statement at the door.  I explained to her the guy was trying to find out my account number so that he could write it down and then auto-switch our account from Direct Energy (which we are with now) to "Direct Energy" (which will cost a bunch of money).  She didn't believe me, so I googled and showed her how common this scam is in Alberta.
Prayin' for a 20!

gcc thorin.c -pedantic -o Thorin
compile successful

Mr. Analog

I've basically turned into Tyler Durden, nearly everything drops to voicemail now, then I call back if I know u.

Once in a while a private number calls me, which is either my parents cell or some scam artist, that's basically the only time I pick up (other than if you are in my caller ID list and I know who you are)
By Grabthar's Hammer

Darren Dirt

Quote from: Melbosa on June 07, 2016, 12:28:16 PM
They won't call most likely... my Mother worked for them for many years.  If they need you to do something they will send you a registered letter more likely than a phone call.

@%&#ing THIS.

according to many of their official webpages too.

Unless u contact them and request a phone call back.


I was curious more than anything, why I called back. The computerized voice message initially leaned me towards skepticism, the vagueness of the Indian dude's details pushed me over. In hindsight wish I stayed on longer to waste his time and delay the next attempted victim.

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Tom

I did get an actual call from a real CIC person regarding a payment plan. I think its not something they'd do a lot of though. I got plenty of letters prior to that.
<Zapata Prime> I smell Stanley... And he smells good!!!

Darren Dirt

YIKES! (and also, handy website!)
http://findwhocallsyou.com/8558818144

" 8558818144 number was searched 1364 times. 8558818144 number has 41 comments. "


Nothing new in there, however I like one guy's suggestion:

"dial *67 then 1-855-881-8144. this will block your number and allow you to waste their time... it's great fun on a rainy day."

^ I can imagine this guy sitting back with a cold drink, doing this all day repeatedly... and for some reason this makes me think of http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Website/Superdickery http://www.superdickery.com/tag/superman-is-a-dick/  ;D


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Thorin

Yeah, calling back the number that was displayed on the phone and wasting their time really sucks when a real business's number was spoofed, though.  You'd be wasting the time of someone who never actually called you and has nothing to do with the scam.
Prayin' for a 20!

gcc thorin.c -pedantic -o Thorin
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Mr. Analog

By Grabthar's Hammer

Darren Dirt

@ Thorin Not the display number, I'm talking about calling back the number the robot voice said which is their call centre from which the scam threat-pitch begins "Thank you for calling CRA... You are a tax cheat and will be arrested..." lol
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