By Lina Tasca

Beware of these Senior scams!

Don’t become a victim. Many of these scams are aimed at seniors. If you know anyone that may be a victim, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre immediately at 1-888-495-8501, or through ‘contact us’ at www.fightspam.gc.ca.

Tax Scams: 

You may receive a phone call from someone claiming to be with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), stating you are entitled to a tax refund and in order to obtain the refund, you are required to provide personal information. The Canada Revenue Agency does not phone anyone to advise they are entitled to a refund, and they have all the information they need to issue a refund. If, in fact, you are entitled to a refund, CRA will mail you a Notice of Assessment informing you of the refund, with a cheque attached if you normally receive refunds by cheque. If you previously elected direct deposit, (which is the safest method), the refund will be deposited directly to your bank account.

You may receive a threatening phone call from someone claiming to be with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), stating you owe back taxes and if payment isn’t submitted immediately, the police will be at your door to arrest you. They try to get your credit card number as an immediate means of payment. Some even ask for payment via an iTunes card.  Again – NO! CRA does not employ these tactics. If you do owe money, your Notice of Assessment will provide all relevant information. If you cannot pay the full outstanding amount immediately, CRA will arrange a repayment plan with you.

Credit Card Scams: 

You may receive a call from ‘Visa Security’ or ‘Visa MasterCard’ stating they’ve noticed some suspicious activity on your card – e.g., ‘A charge of $600 was made to your card ten minutes ago to Western Union. Did you make this charge?’ You obviously answer ‘no’, so the person proceeds to ask if you have your credit card as it could have been lost or stolen. They insist on you getting your card to ensure it is actually in your possession. They state they do not want your credit card number, but merely want to confirm the first four numbers to verify the card. The first four numbers will verify the type of card you have, so do not provide this information. If you are in doubt, contact your credit card company direct to confirm that unauthorized charges have not been made to your account. Unless you initiate the call, under NO circumstances should you give your credit card number to anyone, and never, ever call the number that called you. If you want to contact the credit card company, call the number on your statement or their official website.

900 Numbers: 

If you receive a call, letter or email stating you have won a ’big’ prize, and to claim your prize you must call a 1-900 number. DON’T!  You will be charged as much as $25 per minute for the phone call.

If you receive a fraudulent call, hang up. Do not engage in conversation. This is the best way to stop fraud.

For further information on fraud types, how to protect yourself, and how to report fraud, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.fightspam.gc.ca