A former Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employee has been charged by the RCMP's Provincial Financial Crime Team for an elaborate embezzlement scheme involving nearly $20,000 in fraudulently obtained emergency benefits..The accused, identified as Melissa Jensen Webb, a 39-year-old resident of Dawson City, Yukon, is facing an array of serious charges including fraud, unauthorized access to a computer, and accessing confidential information..Webb is alleged to have exploited her position as a full-time CRA employee in Alberta, capitalizing on her inside knowledge to orchestrate the scam between April 2020 and January 2021..During this period, Webb allegedly concocted a scheme to unjustly acquire funds from the Government of Canada by making false claims for both the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)..The audacious nature of the crime lies in the fact that she was simultaneously employed by the agency responsible for overseeing such benefits. The scheme allegedly ultimately netted her nearly $20,000, funds meant to aid those genuinely in need during the challenging times of the pandemic..The investigation into this elaborate fraud was launched after the Canada Revenue Agency referred the case to the RCMP, prompting an inquiry by the Provincial Financial Crime Team..The unit, operating under the RCMP Federal Policing program, specializes in tackling multifaceted financial fraud cases, investment scams, and instances of political corruption at both local and cross-jurisdictional levels..Following the extensive investigation, a warrant was issued for Webb's arrest in July 2023, leading to her apprehension on August 10, 2023. The charges against her include fraud, possession of property obtained by crime, mischief in relation to computer data, unauthorized use of a computer to commit fraud (twice), breach of trust by a public officer (twice), and offence with respect to confidential information.."The act of accessing and altering data on any internal database is an extreme abuse of one's position. By manipulating these systems, the accused personally benefited from fraudulent payments," said Sgt. John Lamming, of the Provincial Financial Crime Team..Melissa Jensen Webb is scheduled to appear before the Stony Plain Provincial Court on September 20.
