Windsor police are warning of a new wrinkle in an ongoing Canada Revenue Agency scam.
The WPS Financial Crimes Unit says some cases involve would-be scam victims being given the option of paying their debts with the crypto-currency Bitcoin.
The CRA scam works by having the fraudster call a victim on the phone, pretending to be a CRA representative. The scammer tells the victim that they owe a tax debt and sometimes threatens the victim with arrest if they do not pay up.
The victim is then directed to pay the debt by purchasing gift cards or sending a MoneyGram, and in a few recent cases, using Bitcoin, according to police. They either direct the victim to make the payment over the phone or even meet in person.
WPS Constable Andy Drouillard says one recent case involved a victim being told they owed a tax debt, and the scammer apparently "spoofed" the number belonging to a legitimate tax preparation service. The scammer bullied the victim and kept the victim on the phone for several hours, until they made several bank withdrawals. The scammer also provided them with a QR barcode to take to a Bitcoin machine. A total of $17,000 in funds were withdrawn.
Several other instances of people being scammed by sending Bitcoin have also been reported, police say, and several residents have lost thousands of dollars to this scam.
Windsor police say the CRA will never call you and ask you to repay a debt with gift cards, crypto-currency or by sending a MoneyGram, and they will never threaten to come to your house and arrest you. They will also not personally escort you to your financial institution and ask you to withdraw money.
The CRA will not accept Bitcoin as payment.
If you are in doubt as to whether you owe money to Canada Revenue, call them directly at their toll-free number at 1-800-959-8281. You can also get further information on how to protect yourself and loved ones by visiting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's official website.
If you believe someone posing to be from CRA has contacted you, or if you have lost money to this operation, call Windsor police at (519) 255-6700, ext. 4330.