This Week in Scams: Bitcoin, buried treasure and CRA schemes are back
Credit to Author: Harrison Mooney| Date: Sat, 09 Nov 2019 04:17:36 +0000
CRA scams are back, Mounties warned Thursday, amid fresh reports of dozens of calls from fraudsters attempting to bamboozle and intimidate Vancouver Island residents.
While no one has fallen prey to the scam, Nanaimo RCMP is nevertheless advising the public to be on guard against the resurgent scheme,
In this latest version of the infamous CRA scam, the target receives a phone call from what appears to be a federal government agency such as Service Canada or the Canada Revenue Agency. The caller claims the target’s SIN card has been compromised, and asks for the actual card number.
“It is a scam,” Mounties said in a news release. “Simply hang up.”
Another version sees callers claim targets owe money to the CRA, and should expect a call from the police. The ensuing call is not actually from the police — the caller has simply spoofed the department’s phone number. They may then threaten arrest, and attempt to convince targets to provide a credit card number or purchase gift cards or bitcoins.
This too is a scam, said Nanaimo RCMP. Hang up.
Bitcoin also factors into a scam that Coquitlam Mounties warned about Friday, in which scammers claiming to be CRA agents or police allege that targets owe money and attempt to take payment in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
“We’ve even had criminals claiming to be local RCMP,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin. “The best advice I can give is to get the basic details and then hang up. Take a few minutes to breathe, then talk to someone you trust before you do anything.
Coquitlam RCMP reminds the public not to send money, in any form, to someone you don’t know, that you cannot be arrested in Canada for late payment of any kind, and if a government agency won’t let you call back later, it’s a shakedown. Hang up.
McLaughlin added that Coquitlam Mounties have seen 14 cases of telephone fraud involving Bitcoin in the last three months alone, with total losses approaching $70,000.
“This message needs to reach outside of your usual circle,” he said. “Have a conversation with your elderly relatives, your friends and young adult new Canadians who might be vulnerable to these scams.”
But while some scammers are exploiting peoples’ lack of knowledge regarding cryptocurrency, other scammers are working with a much older currency: gold.
Richmond Mounties warned Thursday about a possible return of the “Chinese Gold” scam, in which fraudsters claim to have unearthed buried treasure, and now need assistance selling it.
The buried treasure is often described as full of gold or or solid gold Buddha statues, along with a hand-written note.
These scammers have been known to target random persons thought to be well-off after online research. They call the target, and arrange for the gold to be inspected in a face-to-face meeting before attempting to trade it for cash. If successful, the scammers then flee the region with whatever money they were able to plunder.
The Richmond RCMP has battled this particular scheme, which has been ongoing worldwide since approximately 2010, several times in the past, even mounting successful investigations in 2015 and in 2017. But the scam lives on, and Mounties are now warning residents, especially native Mandarin speakers who are often targeted by this particular deception, that it continues to evolve.
Those that suspect they have been victimized by one of these scams are urged to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll-free at 1-888-495-8501.
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