One of Canada’s most widespread scams has reared its ugly head in Victoria, this time taking a victim.
According to Victoria Police, a local man lost $11,000 to CRA scammers, who convinced him to hand over the money at a Bitcoin ATM at a business in the 100-block of Gorge Road East.
The fraudsters worked as a team to swindle their victim, with one of them pretending to be a Canada Revenue Agency worker while the other posed as a VicPD officer.
Although the loss was significant, it could have been worse if not for a quick thinking bank teller who recognized what was happening and stopped the man from completing any more transfers.
It is not likely that he will be able to get any of his money back.
See also: Here’s how to protect yourself against CRA scams
According to VicPD, there are several factors that can lead people into thinking that these scams are legitimate, and creating urgency to
- Caller ID indicates “Canada Revenue Agency”, “Victoria Police Department” or “911”,
- The scammers often know or appear to know the potential victim’s name address and phone number,
- The calls often last several hours, or happen as a series of calls.
It’s therefore important to remember that the CRA contacts people by mail, and very rarely chooses to use the phone.
