WINNIPEG – Another purported Canada Revenue Scam is targeting local phone numbers in an effort to steal money from frightened callers.

A scammer will call a victim purporting to be a criminal investigator and that money is owed to the Canada Revenue Agency. The victim is then told to dial the Winnipeg Police Service non-emergency line at 204-986-6222 (while the line is still open) to confirm that an investigation is underway.

The victim believes they have started a new call, but in reality, the scammer has remained on the line. The scammer then pretends to be a police officer and attempts to convince the victim to transfer a significant amount of money.

Below are some tips that can be used to help avoid these scams:

– Be cautious of any unexpected callers. Take reasonable steps to confirm the identities of people who call.

– The Canada Revenue Agency will never demand immediate payment by Interac e-transfer, bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or others.

– They will also never use aggressive language or threaten you with arrest or sending the police.

– Do not assume phone numbers appearing on call display screens are accurate.

The Winnipeg Police Service encourages family members or friends to have discussions with their older loved ones to ensure they are not being targeted in this or any other scam.

More information, as well as well as a tool to report these scams, can be found at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/