Over 4,000 Canadians have lost more than $15 million in fraud schemes

Businessman holds smartphone near ear close up / Shutterstock

In a briefing on Wednesday, November 7 in Ottawa, the RCMP stated that they've arrested a dozen individuals in Canada in connection with fraud schemes.

In addition, Mounties report that they have successfully dismantled three major operations in India with the help of local police.

Typically, these scammers call Canadians pretending to be tax enforcers. They'll tell people that they owe taxes, and state that they'll be in trouble with the law if they don't comply.

The RCMP counted 4,000 victims who have lost $15 million, and almost none of the money has been recovered.

As a result, the Canada Revenue Agency is having trouble reaching Canadians because so many people assume they are one of these fraudulent calls.

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Vancouver Is Awesome spoke to Heidi Hofstad, Communications Manager, Pacific Region,

Canada Revenue Agency, who explained how residents can identify a fraudulent call.

"Scammers posing as Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees continue to contact Canadians, misleading them into paying false debt. These persistent scammers have created fear among people who now automatically assume that any communication from someone representing the CRA is not genuine," she said.

"This tax tip will remind Canadians that the CRA does indeed contact taxpayers by phone, email and mail for legitimate reasons."

·      ask for details about your account, in the case of a business enquiry

·      call you to begin an audit process

·      demand immediate payment by Interac e-transfer, bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or others

·      use aggressive language or threaten you with arrest or sending the police

·      leave  voicemails that are threatening or give personal or financial information

If you suspect that you may be a target of fraud, or if you have already sent funds, don't be embarrassed - you're not alone.

If you want to report a fraud, or if you need more information, contact The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll free at 1-888-495-8501. Alternatively, fraud can now be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) through a new, easy to use, Fraud Reporting System (FRS).

With files from the Canadian Press.