Victim of scam loses $24,000

Police continue to remind people to avoid being scammed by persuasive scammers who continue to take advantage of people.

On Thursday, Halifax District RCMP responded to a complaint from a 67-year-old man from Lower Sackville who was defrauded $24,000. The victim had received a telephone call at home from a man who was posing as a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) representative. The suspect told the victim he owed money to the CRA and to avoid being arrested by the RCMP, he was required to transfer $24,000 in bitcoins to them. The man did what he thought was required, however, grew concerned that the RCMP would be looking to arrest him, resulting in his contacting the RCMP.

If you’re contacted by someone claiming to be a representative of the CRA demanding you send them money or you will be arrested by Police, hang up. The CRA does not conduct business in this manner nor will the RCMP come and arrest you. You are asked to report such calls to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) by phone at 1-888-495-8501 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or online at www.antifraudcentre.ca. If you or a family member has fallen victim to this fraud, please report to your local police service, as well as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).

“We encourage everyone to have conversations at home with family members about these scams,” say’s Cpl. Dal Hutchinson, Halifax District RCMP. “The best solution to avoiding becoming a victim is not to answer the telephone or hang up the phone.”

The investigation is being conducted by the Financial Crimes Unit of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division

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Source: Media Release