Three fall victim to Canada Revenue Agency scam

A 24-year-old Peterborough woman, a 27-year-old Peterborough woman and a 57-year-old Peterborough man have been defrauded of thousands of dollars after falling victim to the Canada Revenue Agency scam.

“These scammers are extremely aggressive and relentless. They are targeting everyone and anyone regardless of gender or age,” stated Det. Const. Keith Calderwood of the city police fraud unit. On Monday, a 24-year-old woman received a voice message on her cellphone stating she owed the CRA about $8,000 from two years ago and there is an ongoing investigation into her debt. The message further stated that if she didn’t repay the outstanding debt, she would be arrested.

The woman called the number provided and spoke with a man pretending to be a police officer. The “officer” told the woman she could repay the money using the online platform Bitcoin and instructed her to use a Bitcoin machine located on George Street in Peterborough.

The woman advised the “officer” she only had $4,000 but could repay the full amount later. The “officer” reiterated that if she didn’t pay the full amount that day she would be arrested.

The woman then went a local MoneyMart where she withdrew a $4,000 loan. The woman then went to the Bitcoin machine on George Street and purchased $8,000 in Bitcoins and sent a QR code to the fake officer to complete the transaction. The woman later spoke with a family member who advised she had been defrauded and urged her to contact police.

Also Monday, a 27-year-old woman received a phone call from a person stating that if she did not send them $5,000 a warrant would be issued for her arrest. Scared by the threat, the woman sent the unknown person $5,000 through Bitcoin. She was provided with a bar code to scan that allowed her to transfer the money. The woman later called police to report the incident after realizing she had been scammed.

In late October, a 57-year-old man received a phone call from an unknown man claiming to be a police officer investigating on behalf of the CRA.

As a result of the phone call the man purchased $2,000 in Google Play gift cards and sent the fake officer the serial numbers on the cards in order to pay his fake debt.

“If you get a call from someone you don’t know stating you owe money and threatening your arrest stop, pause and think. Hang up, call a trusted friend or family member and call your bank,” Calderwood stated.