NDP HAMMERS LIBERAL GOVERNMENT ON FAILURE TO PROTECT CANADIANS IN LIGHT OF CRA SCAMS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                        

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

NDP HAMMERS LIBERAL GOVERNMENT ON FAILURE TO PROTECT CANADIANS IN LIGHT OF CRA SCAMS

 OTTAWA, ON – NDP MPs Daniel Blaikie MP (Elmwood-Transcona) and Brian Masse MP (Windsor West) both stood in Parliament today calling on the Trudeau to take action and protect Canadians from fraudsters pretending to be Canada Revenue Agency employees.

After years of Canadians complaining about this specific scam, CBC reported this past week that 60,0000 Canadians across this country have reported a telephone scam run by fraudsters posing as CRA employees. Newcomers and seniors are especially vulnerable to this kind of scam, and in total, over $10 million has been stolen so far.

Standing up for the people of Winnipeg, MP Blaikie stated, “My office is receiving more and more reports of these calls… While Canadians are encouraged to report these scams to the RCMP’s Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, too often they’re met with a busy signal.”

Masse echoed this call and slammed the Government for dodging their responsibilities. “When it comes to India the Prime Minister was clearly more concerned about the optics of his recent junket than doing anything to protect Canadians from fraudsters stealing money from Canadians,” he said. “These calls were happening when he was there and he could have addressed them with Indian authorities. He did not,” Masse stated.

This past Friday two NDP MPs questioned both Public Safety Minister, Ralph Goodale, and Revenue Canada Minister, Diane Lebouthillier, who both refused to say that they would take action on this file. Minister Goodale suggested Canadians need more education for prevention and Minister Lebouthillier called on Canadians to report these calls with the Department of Public Safety.

Blaikie called on the Liberals to add more resources to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre so it can “…do its job protecting Canadians from these ill-willed and irritating invasions of their privacy.”

Masse is recommending that Canadians report every call to the Department of Public Safety immediately and let them know that they want action immediately. “People are getting several calls a day in some cases and millions have been lost. Is this not enough to demonstrate that this Government needs to act?” he asked. You can reach Minister Goodale at: 613-947-1153.

-30-

For more Information:

Office of Daniel Blaikie MP – Sahla Mitchell – 204-984-2499

Office of Brian Masse MP – Melanie Namespetra 613-996-1541

STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP): Mr. Speaker, in May 2016, I warned the government to protect Canadians from CRA telephone scams from India. Its inaction is obscene.

The government has over 60,000 recorded complaints around fraudulent calls from criminals impersonating CRA agents, demanding payment, threatening legal action, even incarceration. Millions of dollars have been scammed, but still nothing from the Liberals. They never do the hard work.

While the Prime Minister was in India, he was more concerned about the optics of his junket and his dress, rather than doing anything to protect Canadians from fraudsters and organized criminals stealing money from Canadians. Why did he not raise this issue?

The Minister of Public Safety’s indifference and incompetence with respect to Canadians’ privacy and protecting these victims of scams is nothing short of scandalous and out of touch. I encourage all Canadians to call the minister at 613-947-1153 to do something about this.