Metro Vancouver (September 25, 2019) – The RCMP arrested an individual in connection with phone scams targeting Canadians all across the country. The Mounties believe that the fraudulent calls originate from illegal call centers in India. The suspect is in Canada on a work visa and the RCMP will recommend charges against them. Their admissibility in Canada is currently being examined.
A joint RCMP investigation by the Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC) section in British Columbia and GTA-Financial Crime Section from Ontario as well as the Burnaby RCMP Detachment resulted in an arrest of an individual in connection with phone scams. The fraudulent calls are believed to have originated from illegal call centers in India where they target victims from all across Canada.
The Mounties published in a press release on September 19 that the arrested individual is in Canada on a work visa. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that a group of individuals operated money service businesses in the Lower Mainland. It is believed that these companies are used to launder the fraudulently obtained funds by the scheme.
Due to the arrested individual’s status, no charges have been laid yet against the unidentified person. The RCMP is working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to determine their admissibility in Canada. The authorities will recommend charges against them.
Inspector Farahbakhchian from the FSOC office in B.C. assured ‘[t]he RCMP remains committed to hunting down scam artists from coast to coast, using top-notch investigators and partnerships with other agencies to get the job done.’
In the press release the mounties warn against current phone and email scams such as the Canada Revenue Scam where the caller poses as a CRA employee threatening their victims into paying fake tax debts or the Bank Inspector Scam making their victims believe that there was fraudulent activity on their account or the Computer Virus Scam where the overpayment scheme is used. ‘It is […] important that Canadians know to protect themselves by recognizing, rejecting and reporting scams before they fall victims to them.’, concludes Inspector Farahbakhchian.
More details on phone scams can be found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
