Listowel Resident Scammed Out Of $4000 – A Store Clerk Finally Speaks Up!

(MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERH, ON) – The Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding residents to be cautious of unsolicited phone calls or messages left on their answering machines following reports of successful $4,000. scam from another Listowel resident.

The resident became the latest victim to the Canada Revenue Agency Scam (CRA) which has been making the local rounds for quite some time.

On Wednesday June 15, 2016, the resident had a message on her answering machine advising her that she owed the CRA over $6,000. She was told to call them back immediately at the phone number provided. When calling she spoke to a man who purported to be an officer, he told her to pay the money owing or be arrested.

The man told her to go down to a local store that sells iTUNE cards and purchase 10X $100 cards she then had to call the man back for further instructions. She did as he said and was told to provide the security codes from each of the ten cards. She was then told to go to another store in town and purchase another twenty $100 cards. She again provided the man with all the security codes. She was told to purchase 10 cards from another store, which she did. She was then directed to go to the same store but not the same till. When the resident attempted to purchase ten more cards the clerk questioned her as to the reason she was buying so many cards. The clerk finally convinced her that this was a scam, talked her out of purchasing the cards, and urged her to go to the police.

The police immediately confirmed this to be a scam as this is not how the CRA operates. The iTUNE number on the back of the cards, are sold by the scammers to individuals all over the world at a high profit.

The Canada Revenue Agency is a real agency, but they don’t contact you looking for personal information, they don’t leave threatening messages, they don’t demand immediate payment and they don’t threaten you with arrest or prison.

The Canada Revenue Agency has a toll free number of 1 800 959 8281 and their website can be viewed at: www.cra-arc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html for anyone wanting more information.

For information on frauds, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or http://www.antifraudcentre.ca.

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