If you get word that you owe Canada Revenue “back taxes”, you’ll want to verify the claim before paying up.

London police say they’ve received numerous complaints about people being contacted through email and by phone by an individual claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency.

The victims are told they either have a refund pending or owe “back taxes” that must be paid immediately to avoid arrest.

The e-mail will have a “click here” portion that diverts to the Fraudster’s site where personal information is submitted to receive the tax benefit. The telephone contact asks the victim to pay the back taxes via a money transfer service or with pre-paid debit, credit or gift cards.

London police are offering Londoners the following tips to weed out fraudsters:

• Do not act immediately.
• Verify what you are being told is the truth.
• Ask yourself why the CRA would be asking for personal information over the phone or by e-mail that they likely already have on file for you as a taxpayer.
• Contact the CRA to confirm that you owe “back taxes” or are entitled to a refund before providing any personal or banking information.

For more information about this scam or others involving the Canada Revenue Agency, visit their web site at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ntcs/bwr-eng.html.