Credit: Mohamed Hassan-Pixabay.com

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Feds dropped the ball by giving CERB fraudsters an open field

Jun 10, 2020 | 4:38 AM

KAMLOOPS — THE ONLY THING WRONG with the plan to go after Canada Emergency Response Benefit fraudsters is that it didn’t come soon enough.

When the federal bailout programs were announced as the COVID-19 pandemic started ramping up, no thought was given to controlling rip-offs. All the focus was on getting the money spread around as quickly as possible.

That has come at a price. Reports say scamsters have been double dipping, applying for, and receiving, handouts from multiple programs. In addition, seniors are being targeted by unscrupulous individuals who are only too willing to relieve our older population of their money with false promises. Still others are sending out email blasts pretending to be government and trying to collect personal information or up-front money. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says it’s received numerous complaints about phishing scams and identify theft related to CERB. In a lot of cases, people know they don’t qualify but apply anyway.

The Canada Revenue Agency has updated the ‘snitch’ page — formally called the ‘leads’ program — on its website to encourage anonymous tips on CERB cheaters.

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NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s initial response to a new government bill that would target the scammers with fines and even jail time was to lament the possibility that honest mistakes in applying for the CERB will be punished. Others call the bill “draconian.”

Innocent people who are suffering through the pandemic shouldn’t be punished further for a mistake. Singh is right about that but the fraudsters who prey on those innocents and rob taxpayers of their income need to be stopped.

The CERB is supposed to help Canadians who have been forced out of their jobs by the pandemic. Scam artists, though, see an opportunity in every crisis.

The bad guys need to have the book thrown at them but, sadly, with millions on the CERB and the government so slow to take action, it’s probably too late for any enforcement to have much effect.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.