CRA Threatening Phone Call Scam — How Canadians Are Being Targeted
You received a phone call or voicemail claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency saying you owe back taxes and a warrant has been issued for your arrest unless you pay immediately by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. The CRA never threatens arrest by phone or demands payment through these methods. This scam costs Canadians millions annually.
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How This Scam Works
Critical Risk — The CRA Never Threatens Arrest by Phone
The Canada Revenue Agency never threatens arrest by phone or demands payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Any such call is a scam.
Note: This scam typically arrives via phone call, not email. If you received a suspicious email, forward it to check@scam.support for a free risk assessment. For phone scams, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre — see all reporting agencies.
You receive a phone call or voicemail claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency saying you owe back taxes and a warrant has been issued for your arrest unless you pay immediately by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. The caller may use threatening language and claim police are on their way.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, CRA impersonation scams are consistently one of the top-reported fraud types in Canada. The CRA has stated clearly that it never threatens arrest, demands immediate payment by phone, or asks for payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or prepaid debit cards. In 2023, Canadians reported losing over $569 million to fraud overall.
Red Flags
- Caller claims to be from the CRA and threatens arrest
- Demands immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency
- Says a warrant has been issued for your arrest
- Creates extreme urgency — pay now or go to jail
- May spoof a CRA phone number on caller ID
What You Should Do
What To Do
- Hang up immediately
- Remember the CRA never threatens arrest by phone
- Check your CRA account at canada.ca/my-cra-account if you have concerns about your taxes
- Call the CRA directly at 1-800-959-8281 to verify any claimed debt
- Report the call to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Sources
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) — Annual Reports
- CRA — Recognize a scam: The CRA never threatens arrest by phone