Listen in as we call a CRA scammer back - and he explains why he does it
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

VANCOUVER—The job is like being an executioner, says the voice on the other end of the phone. It’s just what he’s paid to do.The man with a light English accent says he’s speaking from an India-based call centre where he and other scam artists work through the night, phoning Canadians and claiming to work for the Canada Revenue Agency. They tell people they owe tax money and will be arrested if they don’t pay. Some panicked victims send thousands of dollars.“It’s like somebody in Texas. He’s an executioner; he has to execute people, he has to kill people. It’s his job. That’s what he’s doing, isn’t it?” he said. “It’s like that. I’m just doing a job right now.”On Oct. 29, following news of raids against call centres in India, StarMetro received a call to a newsroom phone from someone claiming to be from the CRA. They said we had to contact them immediately to remedy a tax issue. We called back to see if anyone would share their story. They did. The resulting conversation with a man claiming to be a CRA scammer provides some insight into why they continue to target Canadians and why the recent busts will not deter them.Read more:Are you being scammed? Here’s a quick guide to find out‘I should be a smart guy. I wasn’t.’ How the CRA tax scam keeps duping usA scam artist tried to con her mom. So Sharron Matthews and her friends put their acting skills to useThe Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) reports that it has received about 74,000 complaints about the calls since 2014, with 4,000 victims reporting more than $15.2 million in losses to the scammers. In late October, Canadian police announced that a joint effort with American and Indian police agencies had shut down three such call centres. Officers arrested several people and seized information related to about 600 Canadians who had fallen for the scam.In the week following similar arrests ...