Ontario woman conned out of $12,000 by iTunes gift card scam

[Elderly woman scammed out of $12,000 / Photo via Business Insider]

A 66-year-old Ontario woman was scammed out of more than $12,000 from someone demanding her to pay unpaid taxes using iTunes gift cards, according to Durham Regional Police.

The caller reportedly claimed to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and said she needed to make the payments or face 11 years of jail time.

The woman said she received the call on April 5, and she complied with demands to call back with serial numbers from the gift cards. However, after doing so, she was later told she needed to make further payments.

On April 12, staff at a Walmart in Bowmanville, Ont., noticed a confused and disoriented elderly woman who was on the phone with someone directing her to buy a large number of iTunes gift cards.

A police officer who happened to be in the store at the time was able to intervene and get the woman a refund for the $2,500 she spent on the gift cards.

Police are now asking stores to report suspicious transactions, particularly if a seemingly vulnerable person is making the purchase.