A woman from Ontario was scammed out of $86,000 after receiving a call from a con artist claiming to be an investigator with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). They told her that her bank accounts were involved in a money laundering operation.

Angira said the scammer claimed to be from the CRA's investigation department, stating it was a 24-hour notice from a government agency, and "we will conduct an investigation with you."

When the call came in early March, Angira said they knew her name and the two banks where she had accounts, so she assumed he was legitimate.

During that call, Angira said she was told that her bank accounts were being used in a money laundering operation and that she needed to cooperate with the investigation as the RCMP was also involved, or else the money would be stolen.

She said she was then advised to withdraw money from her bank accounts and deposit it through a Bitcoin machine, where it would stay in an account to keep it safe until the investigation was completed.

Angira said, "I thought they were helping me correctly by freezing my accounts and that they wanted to protect me."

She made multiple withdrawals in increments of around $5,000 and took a taxi back and forth from the bank branches and the Bitcoin machine. In three days, she drained $86,000 from her bank accounts and credit lines.

Angira said, "They told me to go inside the bank and not tell the bank staff anything because you are part of a high-level investigation."

Although she was convinced she was helping the Canadian government with its investigations, her husband and friends said something didn't seem right, adding that she was likely being scammed.

Angira said her husband confronted the caller on the phone and said, "You're a big scammer. Toronto police are coming for you," then hung up.

Paul Murphy, a senior communications advisor at the CRA, stated that the tax agency would never use threatening or aggressive language. Murphy said that anyone receiving a call from someone claiming to be from the CRA should contact the agency directly to verify that person's legitimacy.

Murphy stated, "You can always hang up the phone and call us through our inquiry line and say, 'Someone called me, can you check their identity?'

Angira said losing that money had a devastating effect on her and her family, and since it had been withdrawn from her credit limits, she needed to pay it back.

Angira said, "I'm crying because of the bank."

She has filed a police report and contacted her banks about what happened, but Angira is still in a bind due to the lost money, prompting her to warn others.

Angira said, "The person who called me knew my name, knew how many accounts I have, and provided me with the information this way."

Be careful if you receive texts or emails claiming to be from the CRA stating that your tax refund is ready. Do not click on links in these messages as attempts to obtain your personal information are scams.