RCMP identify B.C. man in relation to CRA phone scams

The RCMP has identified a suspect in British Columbia in connection to its investigation into CRA phone scams, as reported by the CBC.

RCMP officers are investigating organized crime groups who are posing as Canada Revenue Agency officers and scamming Canadians by demanding payments.

Since January 2019, 26-year-old suspect Haoran Xue reportedly transferred $1 million CAD in and out of his bank accounts. Investigators who were trailing him found one of his phones that contained the names of victims in it. The phone also has a list of the addresses that victims were told to send their payment to.

The RCMP has not laid any charges yet, but says that the investigation is ongoing. However, the suspect was arrested earlier this year for forging a document.

The suspect asked victims to send a cheque or gift card in the mail, which may seem like an unusual request to most people, but a number of seniors and new immigrants fell for the scams.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 78,472 reports of scammers posing as the CRA since 2014. Additionally, 4,695 people have lost over $16.7 million as a result of the scams.

There has been a recent increase in scam calls in Canada. Here are a few steps you can take to avoid getting them.

Source: CBC News