Every Friday, Consumer Reporter Lynda Steele dips into the mailbag to answer your questions. This week, Steele on Your Side investigates fraudulent robocalls and a complaint against the BBB.
CRA scam
Georgina contacted Steele on Your Side after getting a robocall claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency. It said the CRA had flagged her tax account and was threatening to sue. She wants to know if it's a scam.
The CRA says it typically sees an increase in these type of fraudulent communications during tax time. The phone calls will often request personal information, like a social insurance number or bank account.
The CRA says these robocalls are scams and taxpayers should never respond to them. You should also avoid clicking on any links provided in emails that claim to be from the Revenue Agency.
Complaint against BBB
Gail wrote us after filing a complaint with the BBB about a local business. She was upset to learn that her address had been forwarded onto the business along with her complaint.
We contacted the BBB and it says that its normal complaint process does forward the contact details of the consumer to the business, and that is clearly stated in its privacy policy. If there are any issues with providing that information then the BBB will remove the address before sending off a complaint. But a consumer mustrequest that it be done ahead of time.
