What are the red flags of this scam?

The caller threatens immediate arrest, deportation, or RCMP involvement over unpaid tax — CRA collections never do this • You are told to pay by iTunes, Google Play, Steam, or other gift cards — no legitimate government agency has ever accepted gift cards • You are told to pay by Interac e-Transfer to a personal email address, or by Bitcoin at a nearby ATM • The caller ID shows an Ottawa number (613 area) or a spoofed CRA line — spoofing is trivial and proves nothing • You are told to stay on the phone and not tell anyone — including your bank teller — while the payment is being made • The caller has some of your personal details (name, address) — usually from data breaches, not from the CRA

What should I do if this happened to me?

Hang up. The CRA will never threaten arrest, demand gift cards, or ask for Bitcoin — those are 100% scam markers • If you're unsure whether the CRA actually contacted you, log into CRA My Account at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency and check for any real notices — the real CRA communicates in writing there first • If you already paid by gift card: keep the card and receipt, call the gift card issuer's fraud line (Apple/Google) — refunds occasionally succeed if reported within hours • If you already sent Interac e-Transfer: call your bank immediately — if the recipient hasn't accepted it yet, it can sometimes be cancelled • Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

HIGH government impersonation Last reported: Oct 25, 2026 Share

A caller claims to be the CRA and threatens arrest for unpaid tax — pay by gift card or e-Transfer now

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. A caller says they're from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and you owe back taxes. They threaten arrest by RCMP, deportation, or a warrant unless you pay right now — usually by gift card (iTunes, Google Play), Bitcoin at an ATM, or Interac e-Transfer. The CRA never demands payment this way.

A caller says they're from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and you owe back taxes. They threaten arrest by RCMP, deportation, or a warrant unless you pay right now — usually by gift card (iTunes, Google Play), Bitcoin at an ATM, or Interac e-Transfer. The CRA never demands payment this way.

Also known as: CRA phone scam, Canada Revenue Agency scam call, fake RCMP arrest warrant call, tax fraud phone scam Canada

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Hang up. The CRA will never threaten arrest, demand gift cards, or ask for Bitcoin — those are 100% scam markers
2 If you're unsure whether the CRA actually contacted you, log into CRA My Account at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency and check for any real notices — the real CRA communicates in writing there first
3 If you already paid by gift card: keep the card and receipt, call the gift card issuer's fraud line (Apple/Google) — refunds occasionally succeed if reported within hours
4 If you already sent Interac e-Transfer: call your bank immediately — if the recipient hasn't accepted it yet, it can sometimes be cancelled
5 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Red flags

⚠ The caller threatens immediate arrest, deportation, or RCMP involvement over unpaid tax — CRA collections never do this
⚠ You are told to pay by iTunes, Google Play, Steam, or other gift cards — no legitimate government agency has ever accepted gift cards
⚠ You are told to pay by Interac e-Transfer to a personal email address, or by Bitcoin at a nearby ATM
⚠ The caller ID shows an Ottawa number (613 area) or a spoofed CRA line — spoofing is trivial and proves nothing
⚠ You are told to stay on the phone and not tell anyone — including your bank teller — while the payment is being made
⚠ The caller has some of your personal details (name, address) — usually from data breaches, not from the CRA

Known variants

'Social Insurance Number suspended' variant: caller pretends to be from Service Canada, says your SIN has been 'compromised or suspended' due to fraudulent use, and asks you to transfer money to a 'safe account' or share personal details to 'verify'. Service Canada does not suspend SINs by phone.

Last seen: 6/20/2026
CRA My Account silent takeover: attackers use leaked credentials from data breaches to log in, change direct deposit details to redirect refunds or benefits, and flood your inbox with spam to hide CRA's account-change notification. Active October 2026 per CRA advisory.

Last seen: 10/8/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources