VANCOUVER Police announced on Friday that the victim in the Canada Revenue Agency  fraud had “exaggerated” her report and at no time was she physically approached by people claiming to be police officers.

Vancouver Police had issued a public warning on Thursday regarding a report that a 58-year-old woman had received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the CRA and was later “arrested” by two men in police uniforms.

Major Crime detectives have now confirmed that the woman was scammed out of $6,000, but at no time did she deal with anyone in person. This CRA scam was no different than other telephone scams reported in the past.

“Based on the seriousness of the information originally reported by the victim, a team of Major Crime investigators were reassigned to focus on and prioritize this incident. Detectives confirmed this morning that the victim was embarrassed for falling for the scam and panicked, deciding to exaggerate her story to include fake police,” said Constable Jason Doucette. “Our officers will continue with their investigation and will consider available options.”

The CRA will not threaten people with arrest, send the police to collect funds, or accept Bitcoin and gift cards as payment. Visit the Government of Canada website for additional ways to protect yourself against fraud.

Anyone who has been a victim of a CRA scam, or any crime, is encouraged to make a report with their local police.