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Scammer Shows Up At British Columbia Woman’s Home With Handcuffs To Arrest Her For ‘Unpaid Taxes’

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David Krayden Ottawa Bureau Chief
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A conman pretending to from the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) showed up at a woman’s doorstep Friday, handcuffs ready, and threatened to arrest her if she didn’t immediately pay her bogus tax bill.

As Global News reports, the latest tax collection scam occurred in Victoria, British Columbia, but scammers are increasingly calling Canadians across the country throughout the year to claim they have a tax bill that needs to be paid immediately or else they will be arrested and prosecuted for tax evasion.

Victoria police told Global News that they are investigating the incident after the woman slammed her front door in the face of the imposter and promptly called 911. Police spokesman Bowen Osoko says she had received multiple calls from people claiming to be CRA officials and demanding money.

“She answers it and there’s a man claiming to be from the CRA, with handcuffs, telling her that she knows that she has not paid her taxes because she’s got these phone calls for a number of days and she’s been ignoring them, and he is there to take her into custody if she does not give him cash right there,” Osoko told Global.

Osoko said no one from the CRA is going to come to your door and handcuff individuals — even if you are a virulent tax evader.

“If a circumstance does warrant arrest, they work with local RCMP and local municipal police departments to effect arrest. Again, they’re not going to show up at the door.”

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