A scam that surfaced in Nanaimo recently cons victims into believing they're dealing with the Canada Revenue Agency, offering a tax refund, to bilk them out of personal information.
Victims are asked to complete an online form that appears legitimate and uses the letterhead of the Canada Revenue Agency. The form indicates personal information, including victims' social insurance numbers, dates of birth and full names, are needed before a refund can be issued. Once completed, a second screen appears where people are prompted to provide their driver's licence numbers and credit card information.
"The fraudsters want you to believe it is legitimate by using the letterhead of a prominent government agency," said Const. Gary O'Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman. "The CRA would never ask for such personal details through an e-mail and would never ask you to provide credit card information."
Fraud victims are asked to contact Equifax at 1-866-828-5961 or Trans Union at 1-800-639-9980. Incidents can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.