CRA employee in Alberta embezzled $20K in emergency benefits: RCMP
Posted August 16, 2023 10:44 am.
Last Updated August 16, 2023 10:47 am.
A former Canada Revenue Agency employee working in Alberta has been charged after thousands of dollars in emergency benefits were allegedly embezzled.
Alberta RCMP say a 39-year-old resident of Dawson City, Yukon, was arrested Aug. 10.
Police allege she fraudulently obtained nearly $20,000 from the federal government by claiming CERB and CRCB (Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit) while working as a full-time CRA employee in Alberta.
“The act of accessing and altering data on any internal database is an extreme abuse of one’s position,” said Sgt. John Lammin in a news release. “By manipulating these systems, the accused personally benefitted from fraudulent payments.”
The RCMP’s provincial financial crime team says it happened between April 2020 and January 2021.
The CRA alerted the RCMP and a “comprehensive investigation” followed, according to police. A warrant was issued for the suspect’s arrest last month.
She was charged with multiple offences, including fraud over $5,000, mischief in relation to computer data and unauthorized use of computer to commit fraud.
She is scheduled to appear in Stony Plain provincial court Sept. 20.
