Revenue Canada scam swindles $3,000 from B.C. resident

Victim provides fraudster with $3,000 in iTunes gift cards

Martha Wickett
Jun 21, 2018 2:00 PM

12430158_web1_VNE-CRAscam — A telephone scam involving people impersonating Canada Revenue Agency staff is getting aggressive in the Shuswap. (Black Press file photo)

Fraudsters pretending to be from the Canada Revenue Agency are getting bolder.

Chase RCMP received a report from a victim who received a phone call from a person claiming to be with the agency. The suspect told the victim they owed federal taxes and threatened the victim with arrest should they not pay the taxes immediately.

The suspect directed the victim to purchase iTunes cards to pay for their overdue taxes. After purchasing approximately $3,000 in iTunes cards, the victim gave the card information to the suspect, allowing the suspect to obtain the full value of the card.

Police say that due to technology allowing false phone numbers to be shown on call display, and because suspects are mostly from oversees countries, there is little officers can do to recover the lost money.

Chase RCMP say they have received several similar reports of the Canada Revenue Agency Fraud over the past several weeks. Police would like to remind the public that the Canada Revenue Agency does not take iTunes cards for payment and that police do not arrest people for overdue taxes.

newsroom@saobserver.net
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About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.

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