I was screaming, 'Save me, save me,' and walking backward, screaming loudly." "I was screaming as they hit me - they hit me, hit me, hit me. Kotian was discovered and attacked, though he eventually managed to escape. Sudhir Kotian got the invite and went inside one of the scam centres with a hidden camera. How scammers could be using social media to personalize fake CRA threats.Jayesh Dubey, a former call centre employee turned whistleblower, once profited from the scheme. The more you steal from an unsuspecting Canadian, the more you take home. The earning potential is huge: a typical month's salary can be earned in just one night. Those carrying out the scam are young, usually in their 20s, and veterans of Mumbai's legitimate call centres, where English-language skills and an understanding of Western countries are a must.
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Other scammers in the operation were likely using this time to research details about Joe online, using the information to bolster their claims of legitimacy.Īt the end of the call, when the money was sent, Joe said they laughed and hung up. Another voice, pretending to be the accountant's office, confirmed the amount owing. When Joe questioned them, they asked for his accountant's name, before seemingly dialing the phone. He went from branch to branch, drawing down his savings he was instructed by the scammers to tell any suspicious bank employees he was buying furniture. Joe was told to withdraw the cash and deposit it into a bitcoin machine. These details are often described in such a way as to avoid raising the suspicions of a bank.Ġ:28 'Joe' lost more than $36,000 to the CRA tax scam after receiving a threatening phone call 0:28 If a caller agrees, they are transferred to a "call closer," much like in a sales operation, who continues listing off threats and outlines where the money should come from and how it should be transferred.
#Canada revenue agency phone number series
Those who do begin with a "call opener" who typically outlines a series of threats, including arrest, loss of employment, seizure of assets, and even the removal of their children.īut just as quickly, they offer to help the caller clear his or her name through a quick payment and a reduced fine, often in the thousands of dollars. Robo-dialers call Canadian cellphones and landlines en masse, leaving a message that tells the recipient to call back. The most sought-after prey are often the most vulnerable in Canada: the elderly and new immigrants. But the scammers are also employing new tactics in an attempt to convince people to hand over their cash, from posing as a victim's accountant, to using technology which prevents a victim from hanging up the phone.
![canada revenue agency phone number canada revenue agency phone number](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/amber-33-sized.jpg)
Most potential victims simply hang up, or never return the call. But at the time, the immigrant believed a government would call and threaten a citizen it happens in his native Iran. Rashidi is deeply embarrassed he fell for the scam now.
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He also borrowed from his son and against a line of credit. Gehangir Rashidi lost $110,000 to the CRA phone scam, pulling money from his RRSP, savings and chequing accounts.