Neither the Canada Revenue Agency nor the RCMP will ever ask you to put money into a Bitcoin ATM (The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

complex scam

Oceanside RCMP warn of scammers impersonating police/CRA agents in Bitcoin fraud

Dec 19, 2021 | 7:27 AM

PARKSVILLE — Oceanside RCMP revealed a complex scam involving someone impersonating a Canada Revenue Agency agent and a local Mountie.

Sometime this week a resident received a call from someone saying their Social Insurance Number (SIN) had been compromised and was being used to facilitate money laundering through real estate transactions.

They were then told they were transferred to a Canada Revenue Agency agent, who informed them they needed to withdraw several thousand dollars and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM.

The resident was weary of the caller and said they were going to phone the RCMP to determine if this was a scam. A short time later, the resident received a call that displayed the Oceanside RCMP telephone number.

The person on the phone claimed to be a police officer and informed the resident the call they received earlier about their SIN being compromised was legitimate and encouraged them to make the deposits in the Bitcoin ATM.

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Unfortunately, the resident fell victim to the scam and made the Bitcoin deposit.

RCMP are reminding people about how adept fraudsters are at this kind of activity, and if you want to confirm someone’s identity with a particular agency, call them yourself directly and do not accept unsolicited calls.

The police will also never ask someone to make a Bitcoin deposit.

“If you receive a telephone call from anyone identifying themselves from a government agency such as the Canada Revenue Agency or RCMP requesting money or any personal or financial details, hang up the phone, it’s a fraud.” said Sergeant Shane Worth of the Oceanside RCMP. “The CRA or RCMP will never ask for money over the phone”.

For more information on scams and frauds, you can go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website, or call 1-888-495-8501.

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