CRA/iTunes Scam Claims Nanaimo Victims

Thousands of dollars lost under jail threat

What does the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and iTunes have in common? Nothing, it is simply a scam designed to take your money and continues to be active in the Nanaimo area.  This scam has claimed a number of victims who have lost thousands of dollars under the threat of being arrested or going to jail.

In one recent incident, a female went to a local grocery store and attempted to purchase $5,000 in iTunes cards using her VISA. The store manager denied this transaction but eventually conceded when she produced $3,000 in cash to purchase the cards. The manager was still leery of the transaction and decided to contact the Nanaimo RCMP.

The female admitted to the investigator she had received a call from a person who purported to be an officer with the CRA. This individual told her she owed back taxes and the easiest way for her to avoid jail time was to purchase the iTunes cards. Over a period of time, the adult female went to various locations and purchased $9,000 in iTunes cards. She may have continued purchasing cards if the astute manager had not called the RCMP.

Investigators have been working with the victim by contacting Apple and her local charter bank. To date, $6,000 has been credited back to her VISA.

"This is an extreme situation but worth mentioning as the CRA scam continues to evolve and use different ploys and tactics to swindle unsuspecting victims", said Constable Gary O'Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.

The best course of action is to HANG up your phone if you receive a call from someone claiming to be an officer with the CRA. The real Canada Revenue Agency will not call you and any correspondence directed to you will be received by regular mail.

Additionally, you DO NOT need to call your local RCMP detachment if you only received a scam phone call. Hanging up the phone is your best course of action.

For more information on this fraud and others go to CanadianAnti-fraud Centre website  or call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre Toll-free at 1-888-495-8501