CRA launched ‘witch hunt’ against whistleblowers who exposed millions in bogus refunds, sources say
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is under fire for allegedly going on a “witch hunt” to find whistleblowers who may have spoken to the media and exposed how the agency has been duped into paying out millions in bogus refunds to scammers. Multiple sources have indicated that senior leadership at the CRA is nervous and trying to control the narrative by silencing employees and limiting media coverage.
A recent investigation by CBC’s The Fifth Estate and Radio-Canada revealed that the CRA has been withholding information from Canadians about the hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds it has wrongly paid out and the extent to which taxpayers have had their accounts hacked by fraudsters. In response to questions about the validity of its previously released numbers, the CRA now admits that the figures provided could be higher due to the evolving fraud landscape.
CBC has reported that tens of thousands of CRA taxpayer accounts were hacked, a number much larger than what the agency had previously disclosed. The agency also wrongly authorized the release of $40 million in bogus refunds to a single bank account without verifying the authenticity of the documents. Since these reports, multiple insiders have raised concerns about attempts to downplay the agency’s issues.
Sources have described the CRA’s focus on whistleblowers as a “witch hunt” and fear retaliation. Employees believe that the agency is searching through computers to see who accessed certain files, raising concerns about privacy and confidentiality breaches. The CRA has not denied investigating potential whistleblowers but stated that it is dedicated to upholding the integrity of the tax system.
In an internal email sent by CRA Commissioner Bob Hamilton and Deputy Commissioner Jean-François Fortin, employees were instructed to refer any media inquiries to the media relations team. This move has been seen as “damage control” by some sources who feel that the agency is deflecting blame onto potential whistleblowers rather than taking responsibility for its lack of safeguards.
The CRA has been accused of misleading the public on the extent of losses due to bogus refunds, with sources indicating that the actual numbers are much higher than what has been publicly disclosed. Opposition parties have expressed their intention to call Revenue Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and CRA officials to testify before ethics and finance committees.
The CRA claims to take fraud “extremely seriously” and stated that it takes immediate preventative measures when a potential threat is identified. However, sources continue to express concerns about the agency’s transparency and accountability. If you have information on this story or have been a victim of a hacked CRA account, you are encouraged to contact CBC in confidence.
As the CRA faces scrutiny over its handling of fraudulent refunds and privacy breaches, the agency must address the concerns raised by whistleblowers and take steps to increase transparency and accountability in order to regain public trust.
