Stony Plain / Spruce Grove / Enoch RCMP make substantial drug seizure

Strathcona County RCMP continue to warn residents of the Canada Revenue Agency scam.

On Thursday June 22, 2017 at approximately 12:20 p.m. a female received a phone call from a male identifying himself as a police officer who worked for the Canada Revenue Agency. The male advised that she owed the CRA money and to pay she must purchase prepaid Visa cards and provide the card number. The female purchased $5600 worth of prepaid credit cards and provided the information to the male over the phone.

On Thursday July 6, 2017 at approximately 7:25 a.m. a female received a phone call from a male identifying himself as a Canada Revenue Agency employee. The male advised her that she owed the CRA money and the only way to pay was to purchase Itunes gift cards and provide the code on the back of the card. The male stated she would go to jail if she did not pay immediately. In the end the female handed $3,000 in Itunes gift cards to the male over the phone.

On Friday August 11, 2017 a male received an email from what appeared to be the Canada Revenue Agency stating there was a refund available. The male clicked on the link and provided his banking information and social insurance number. The male immediately realized it was a scam and contacted his bank and no money was lost.

Be aware of these guidelines to prevent being a victim of a CRA scam and other financial scams:

• The CRA will not request payments by prepaid credit cards or Itunes gift cards.

• The CRA will not leave personal information on an answering machine.

• Never provide personal information through the Internet or by email. The CRA does not ask you to provide personal information by email.

• Be careful before you click on links in any email you receive. Some criminals may be using a technique known as phishing to steal your personal information when you click on the link.

• Protect your social insurance number. Don’t use it as a piece of ID and never reveal it to anyone unless you are certain the person asking for it is legally entitled to that information.

• Shred unwanted documents or store them in a secure place. Make sure that documents with your name and SIN are secure.

For more information on scams contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at www. antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or toll free at 1-888-495-8501. If you believe you may be the victim of fraud or have given personal or financial information unwittingly, contact the Strathcona County RCMP Detachment at 780-467-7741.