A New Westminster woman is warning other residents after she received a phone call from someone trying to get money from her, claiming they were with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Frankie McKay said she was contacted three times within recent weeks by someone saying they were with Canada Revenue Agency and that if she wanted to stop a “procedure” moving forward against her, she needed to pay $4,500 right away.
The scammers didn’t ask for any personal information, only the money, and McKay said they had some knowledge of her tax history.
McKay contacted the Record in hopes of warning other residents who may think the calls are legit. She also noted the scammer called her three times, in some cases they even left a message, and were very hostile on the phone.
These types of scam calls are common. Over the past year, the New Westminster police have issued public safety notices warning residents about scammers pretending to work for various provincial and federal agencies.
The most recent advisory came after several Royal City residents contacted police after receiving calls from people claiming they worked for B.C. Hydro. According to police, the callers threatened the residents, saying their power would be shut off if they didn’t pay an outstanding debt or bill. In the case of this scam, most residents were quick to realize they weren’t speaking with real B.C. Hydro workers because the City of New Westminster has its own electrical company.
The police encourage anyone who receives a suspicious call asking for money or claiming to work for a government agency, such as the Canada Revenue Agency or B.C. Hydro, to hang up and call the alleged agency directly or the police department’s non-emergency line at 604-525-5411.
