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.