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