Canada's tax agency approved $40 million in refunds for Jonathon Pearce.
Pearce works at a steel mill in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario.
His forms showed no income, yet claimed he paid up to $20 million in tax.
He believed his birth certificate unlocked a secret trust account. It does not.
The CRA sent him $400,000, then $10 million more. He spent over $1 million.
James Paterson saw a $10 million deposit and alerted the CRA in August 2023.
The CRA could not take back $10 million, but it blocked the other $30 million.
The CRA found 19 others making the same kind of claims.
The CRA did not verify the tax was paid before it sent refunds.
Pearce called the CRA and explained his plan. It paid him 10 days later.
Homes were raided and accounts frozen. No criminal charges have been laid.
Read the full story to see how the swindle worked and what comes next.
Get the full breakdown, key numbers, and what happens next.
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