MILTON,
ON, April 26, 2024 /CNW/ - Thousands of
Canadians have received random calls telling them that they owed
money to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or they would be reported
to the RCMP. These were scam calls that cost
victims millions.
Thomas Pao is
alleged to have been one of the individuals involved
with these scams. After being charged, Pao fled to China four years ago.
Today, the RCMP arrested Pao without incident at Toronto Pearson
International Airport, where he was immediately taken into
custody.
In 2020, as part of Project OCTAVIA, the RCMP arrested a number
of suspects, including Thomas Pao,
who were charged with multiple offences linked to
alleged CRA telephone scams. At the time of the
investigation, victim losses were estimated to be over $34 million.
Recently, investigators from the RCMP Transnational Serious and
Organized Crime section were notified by the Canadian Passport
Intelligence Section that Pao, who had been residing in
China with an expired Canadian
passport, would be returning to Canada. He was issued an Emergency Travel
Document and put on a direct flight from China.
In December of 2020, Thomas Pao
was charged with the following:
- Fraud over $5,000
contrary to the Criminal Code
- Possession of Proceeds of Crime, contrary to the Criminal
Code
- Laundering of the proceeds of Crime, contrary to the
Criminal Code
Court for Pao is virtual, via Brampton Court on April
26, 2024.
Thank you to our partners, The Canada Border Services Agency
(CBSA), The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of
Canada (FINTRAC), Canadian
Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) and Canadian Passport
Intelligence for their assistance on this file.
"This file demonstrates how persistence and collaboration lead
to success in complex files. Our officers developed partnerships in
the course of this investigation that were essential to bringing
this individual before the courts."
Inspector Nicole Noonan – Officer
in Charge of Toronto West Detachment – Transnational Serious and
Organized Crime.
Fast Facts
If someone on the phone is asking for your
personal or banking information, hang up and report the activity to
the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If the caller is
threatening you or your family, hang up and contact your local
police. If you receive an e-mail or text message making suspicious
tax claims and urging you to click on a link to submit information,
don't interact and report the occurrence to the Canadian
Anti-Fraud Centre, through its website
at www.antifraudcentre.ca (http://www.antifraudcentre.ca), or
by telephone at 1-888-495-8501.
The RCMP's core values guide our daily activities. All employees
are expected to live and model the values in their work. This
investigation shows our commitment to demonstrating compassion. We
care for each other and the communities we serve by approaching
each situation with empathy and a genuine desire to help. We know
that many people in our communities have fallen victim to scammers.
We are continuing to educate our citizens about this threat while
also carrying out our investigations to prevent serious financial
harm to Canadians.
Twitter: @RCMPONT
Facebook: RCMP.Ontario
Instagram: rcmpontario
YouTube: RCMPGRCPOLICE
Website: RCMP in Ontario
SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police "O" Division