'I'm crying with the bank': Ontario woman loses $86K to CRA scam

An Ontario woman is out $86,000 after receiving a call from a fraudster claiming to be a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) investigator. They told her that her bank accounts were involved in a money laundering operation.

An Ontario woman is out $86,000 after receiving a call from a fraudster claiming to be a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) investigator. They told her that her bank accounts were involved in a money laundering operation.

"He said he was from the investigation department at the CRA, and it is a 24-hour notice from a government body, and we are going to do an investigation on you," said Anjira, who CTV News agreed to identify only by first name.

When the call came in early March, Anjira said they knew her name and the two banks she had accounts with, so she assumed he was who he claimed to be.

During that call, Anjira said she was told her bank accounts were being used in a money laundering operation and that she must cooperate with the investigation, as the RCMP is also involved, or have the money stolen.

She said she was then advised to withdraw money from her bank accounts and deposit it through a Bitcoin machine, where it would remain in an account for safekeeping until the investigation was over.

"I thought they were helping me right, to freeze my accounts, that they would want to protect me," said Anjira.

She made multiple withdrawals in about $5,000 increments, travelling via taxi to and from the bank branches and the Bitcoin machine. In three days, she drained $86,000 from her bank accounts and lines of credit.