(BRUCE PENINSULA, ON) –On March 3, 2016, the Bruce Peninsula Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a call from a resident who reported being defrauded approximately $38,600.00.
The victim had been contacted several times by a Mike JONES from the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). The victim learned he was audited and owed a large sum of money to the Canadian Government. Instructions quickly followed with the victim being threatened to withdraw money from his bank account and send it via money grams through the post office. He was instructed to send the money grams to the following people: Aaron BAMHNA from Reno, Nevada; Bobby TAKIA from Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Asdil DSOUZA from Reno, Nevada; Calvin HARDY from Austin, Texas; Ronny KLUMAN from Las Vegas, Nevada; and Rennision LARA from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Bruce Peninsula OPP have received several complaints regarding the CRA Scam where residents are receiving threatening calls from fraudsters using aggressive and forceful language to make them pay fictitious debts to the government. They will threaten police action with the victim being arrested, charged, taken to court, going to jail or being deported.
If you get one of these calls or any other suspicious calls, HANG UP. Don’t tell them your personal information, credit card or banking information. The CRA will never call you demanding you send money orders or demanding access to your on-line banking or credit card information.
If something seems suspicious, do your research. Talk to family and friends, call Police and report the scam to Canadian Anti-Fraud Center www.antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-850.
For information on how to spot a scam and make sure you do not become a victim, please go to www.opp.ca and click on Fraud Prevention on the Resources page.
Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus
www.ccbbb.ca
Canada Revenue Agency-Charities Directorate
www.cra-arc.gc.ca
1-800-267-2384
The Bruce Peninsula OPP is requesting anyone with information that can assist police to call 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a secure web-tip at www.crimestoppersgb.ca, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.