I would find it scary if the Canada Revenue Agency contacted me. I doubt they track down taxpayers to inform them that they made a mistake on their return and the government owes them money (with interest).
But the call I got the other day from someone claiming to be with the “Tax Department of the Canada Revenue Agency” failed to instill fear. Real tax people are passionate about tax matters. There’s no way that voice reciting a script in a robotic tone belonged to a hot-blooded taxman. And they don’t issue dire, awkwardly worded threats like, “Now, if I don’t hear a call from you immediately, we shall have to issue an arrest warrant under your name and get you arrested.”
These kind of calls are so ridiculous. It is not how one would hear from such an organization. It's quite sad—and horrifying!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to figure out the best way to respond to calls like these. Usually, I'm either abrupt and hang up, or I laugh at them, and say "hah, no, you're not!" (ie from the Canada Revenue Agency)
ReplyDeletePerhaps the horror is having to work a job like that?
James Veitch needs to make a new TED talk responding to these fake tax claim calls.
ReplyDeleteI can't get the idea of a hot-blooded taxman out of my head.
ReplyDeleteI've gotten those calls -- but allegedly from the US IRS.
ReplyDeleteI also seem to remember talking an elderly person off the cliff when she'd gotten one of these calls and was terrified. I don't remember much else about it, but I finally convinced her to not worry and call the IRS to make sure everything was okay,