In 2020, B.C. nurse Leslie Warner fought to seek justice against an identity thief who impersonated her. The impostor falsely claimed that Warner had relocated to Alberta, hacked into her Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) account, and fraudulently obtained a refund in her name.
Warner, employed at a Fernie hospital in B.C.’s East Kootenay region, had to prove to the agency that she was a victim of identity theft and had not received the funds. However, she expressed frustration that the CRA appeared disinterested in pursuing the actual fraudster who stole public money.
Speaking to fifth estate co-host Mark Kelley, Warner mentioned that the agency’s criminal investigations unit had not reached out to her regarding the identity theft incident.
Adding to Warner’s concerns, recent revelations suggested that her CRA impostor, Christina Cherpak, might have ties to legal issues in Alberta. Court documents disclosed that Cherpak faced charges related to using Warner’s identity in a separate social services fraud case.
Warner now believes that the CRA possesses sufficient evidence to initiate a criminal investigation into Cherpak but has observed no progress in that regard.
“I think they assume they’ve resolved my case and that’s the end of it,” Warner remarked.
An fifth estate report from last year highlighted that Warner was not the only victim. She is among a group of at least 26 healthcare workers in B.C. whose CRA accounts were compromised over several years, with many feeling that the tax agency is reluctant to prosecute the impostors.
Former CRA investigator Shawna Roy suggested that the agency might prioritize protecting its reputation over launching criminal inquiries that could expose weaknesses in its fraud detection mechanisms.
“CRA uses a lot of rhetoric to convey concern and seriousness, but when will this end? When will the problem be resolved?” Roy questioned.
- Who is behind the CRA account hacks?
- Thousands of taxpayer accounts hacked, leading to millions in fraudulent refunds by CRA
Roy departed from the CRA in 2024 due to disputes over audit and enforcement gaps, warning about vulnerabilities related to unauthorized access to taxpayer accounts.
“We could have prevented this. It never had to happen,” Roy emphasized. “But it keeps deteriorating.”
In a written response, the CRA’s media relations office affirmed that its criminal investigations unit focuses on the most severe tax-related offenses but refrained from commenting on ongoing or potential investigations.
“The CRA treats these matters seriously and has implemented robust safeguards to protect taxpayer accounts,” the statement read.
Despite attempts to reach the Minister responsible for the CRA, François-Philippe Champagne, for comment, there was no response from his office to inquiries made by the fifth estate