Canadians have been bombarded with a serious uptick in spam calls in recent months, many of them claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and demanding immediate payment. 

Thankfully, the RCMP announced this morning that two Canadians have been arrested in connection with a scheme of this kind. 

Hey @OPP_COMM_WR @lpsmediaoffice what action are you taking on the CRA phishing scam that has been going on for years? I have gotten 5 calls from them today, all from different phone numbers. I can't answer my phone anymore. Is there nothing that can be done?

— Slikk (@SLIKK519) February 3, 2020

The RCMP said the two people, Gurinderpreet Dhaliwal and Inderpreet Dhaliwal from Brampton, Ont., were operating as "money mules /money mule managers" and assisting with laundering of funds obtained through the CRA scam which is operating out of India. 

They have also participated in other scams and are each being charged with one count of Fraud Over $5,000, one count of Laundering of the Proceeds of Crime and One count of Property Obtained by Crime.

RCMP arrest scammers #RCMP #ODivision https://t.co/Fqk3F664g2 pic.twitter.com/TzKSTH8OeD

— RCMP, Ontario (@RCMPONT) February 14, 2020

In a statement, they said the RCMP Greater Toronto Area Financial Crime section started an investigation called Project OCTAVIA in 2018.

"The focus of the investigation was to combat the CRA telephone tax scam - better known as the CRA scam through public awareness, disruption and enforcement," they said.

"The scam involved callers identifying themselves as CRA and/or RCMP and later other Federal government agencies and then intimidating victims into paying non-existent fines or taxes."

Who else is getting tones of #SCAM phone calls from CRA today? All from different (705) numbers! 🤬

— Allan Wille (@awille) January 29, 2020

The RCMP says this kind of scam has been targeting the Canadian public since 2014, and it continues to victimize Canadians despite a number of police raids on illegal call centres in India.

@RogersHelps I have received no less than 10 CRA scam phone calls per day for the last 3 days!!!! There must be something I can do to stop this bullshit???

— Kriztoper 🇨🇦 (@kriztoper1978) January 17, 2020

According to the police, between 2014 and 2019, the CRA scam has resulted in victim losses totaling over $16.8 million dollars. And if you include the Bank Investigator and Tech Support scams, total reported victim losses are over $30 million dollars.

Who else is getting tones of #SCAM phone calls from CRA today? All from different (705) numbers! 🤬

— Allan Wille (@awille) January 29, 2020

A Canada-wide arrest warrant has also been issued for Shantanu Manik, a 26-year-old who is believed to be a foreign national in India.

"This investigation demonstrates how the RCMP works to ensure that Canadians can maintain confidence in their economy and their government agencies. The RCMP and our many partners will continue to work together to dismantle these organizations," said Inspector Jim Ogden, the officer in charge of the GTA Financial Crime Section at (TWD) in Milton, ON.

The Dhaliwal's were released on their own recognizance and are scheduled to appear in court on March 2.