A Suspicious Call About Taxes

The task

Your neighbour Hamid moved to Canada last year. This morning he got a phone call from someone who said they worked for the Canada Revenue Agency. The caller said Hamid owes back taxes and will be arrested today unless he pays right away with gift cards. Hamid is frightened and is thinking about paying. Advise Hamid on what he should do.

• Read the task, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.
• This is an original practice question written in a CELPIP-style format. It is not a real test question.
• The CLB level of each model answer was reviewed by a TESOL-certified instructor. It is not an official CELPIP score. This practice material is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paragon Testing Enterprises.
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Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking time

90 seconds

Question

5 of 10

Hamid, wait, wait, wait. Please don't buy any gift cards. I'm almost sure this is a scam. My coworker, he got the same call last year, exactly same. The real tax office don't call people and say the police is coming today. And gift cards, never. That's how the bad guys take money, you can't get it back. Don't call that number again. If they call you, just hang up. If you're worried you really owe something, find the phone number on the government website, the real one, and call them. Or check your online account. Also don't give them your SIN or bank informations, nothing. If you already told them something, call your bank today, today. You can report the call to the anti-fraud centre, so they warn other people. Don't feel bad, a lot of newcomers get these calls. If you want, I can sit with you when you call.

Why this answer works

• The key message comes first and clearly ("Please don't buy any gift cards"), but the steps after it are short bursts with few links between them.
• Simple vocabulary with varied slips ("The real tax office don't call", "the police is coming", "bank informations") and a repetition ("today, today"), which suit a CLB 7.
• Kind and practical, but the steps are not ranked, and the ending is a quick offer.

Hamid, stop, please don't buy those gift cards. I'm nearly certain this is a scam. The Canada Revenue Agency doesn't call people and threaten to arrest them, and it never asks for payment with gift cards. Scammers like gift cards because once you give them the numbers, the money is gone. So here's what I'd do. If they call again, don't talk to them, just hang up. If you're worried that you really owe taxes, find the agency's phone number on its official website and call them yourself, or check your online account. Don't use any number the caller gave you. Also, think about what you told them. If you gave them your social insurance number or any bank details, call your bank today and ask them to watch your account. After that, you can report the call to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which helps protect other people. Lots of newcomers get calls like this, so please don't feel embarrassed. I can come over this evening if you'd like some help.

Why this answer works

• Puts the most urgent message first, then gives the warning signs with a reason ("once you give them the numbers, the money is gone").
• Clear, simple order: hang up, check through official channels, protect his information, report.
• Accurate vocabulary (official website, social insurance number, bank details) in plain sentences.

Hamid, the short answer is don't pay, not a cent, and you can prove it's a scam to yourself instead of just taking my word for it. There are two ways to verify it. You could call back the number on your call display, or you could look up the agency yourself. Only the second one is reliable. Whoever answers the first number is part of the same operation, so of course they'll insist you owe something. Sign in to your CRA account independently, or dial the number listed on canada.ca, and you'll see your real balance in a few minutes. Now, I know what's going through your head. What if this time it's real and the police actually show up? The real agency doesn't make threats like that by phone, and it never wants gift cards. Gift cards are the biggest red flag, because they can't be traced or reversed. If you've already handed over your SIN, that's the one thing to deal with right away, so contact your bank and have them flag anything unusual. Honestly, the fear is the scam. Once you recognize that, they've got nothing.

Why this answer works

• Gives the decision in the first sentence, then compares two ways of checking and explains why only one is useful ("Only the second one is reliable").
• Voices his real fear ("What if this time it's real and the police actually show up?") and answers it calmly.
• Precise wording ("part of the same operation", "can't be traced or reversed", "red flag") and a short, memorable closing idea.