RCMP say two people have been defrauded recently of more than $34,000.00 recently in southwestern Manitoba.

In one instance, a victim received a telephone call from a person claiming to work for the Canada Border Services Agency and told them a package had been intercepted that was addressed to the victim which contained drugs, money and fraudulent documents.

The victim had recently placed some Amazon orders and was awaiting their delivery, which made it believable and concerning. Additional calls were then made to the victim from someone impersonating a police officer, and another call from someone impersonating an employee with the Canada Revenue Agency.

The victim was told to send payment to settle the issue and did so, but then continued receive phone calls demanding more money which is when they realized it was a scam.

In the second instance, a victim received a telephone call from someone impersonating a police officer, claiming that a family member of the victim had been involved in an accident and was now at a police station. The caller requested that the victim send money in order for the family member to be released from police custody.

The victim contacted another family member to discuss what had happened which is when they realized it was a scam.

No police agency or other government agency will request you send monetary payments to them by way of mail, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or QR codes. This is a scam, and the callers usually use pressure tactics and threaten the victim if they don’t pay forthwith.