Latest news with #fraudAlert
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
RBC tells customer she's responsible for $14K stolen from account in bank investigator scam
At first, Melissa Plett didn't think there was anything suspicious about a fraud alert call she got last month purportedly from her bank, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). Her phone's call display showed the number was RBC's. Plus, the caller used language she's heard before when dealing with her bank. "It was very, very, very well executed," said Plett, 44. "It's like they had the entire opening script memorized and rehearsed. There were just no red flags." The caller told Plett, who lives just outside Montreal, that someone in Vancouver was trying to steal $2,000 from her bank account. So she complied when he instructed her to log into her RBC banking app while he was on the phone with her, and followed instructions he said would safeguard her money. By the time the call was over, $14,510 had vanished from Plett's two RBC accounts, one personal and one for her marketing business. Plett said she found out she was scammed because the real RBC called her shortly after to report fraudulent activity in her account. She says she didn't share any personal information or codes with the fraudster. But when she asked RBC for a refund, Plett says the bank declined, and told her that she was responsible because she was active in her account when the money disappeared. "It's a lot of money," said Plett. "For you to have just a little bit of a savings account and it just to be gone, it's like, I'm going to cry now. You just feel helpless." Plett is one of many victims of the bank investigator scam, where fraudsters pose as bank investigators or other types of fraud investigators — typically by phone. The scammers tell victims one or more of their banking products has been compromised, and they need to take urgent and necessary action, such as sharing credit card numbers. In many cases, the fraudsters have personal information on the victim, such as their full name and the name of their bank. They also use a technique known as spoofing to make it appear as though they are calling from a number associated with the victim's bank. "If they have personal information, then it makes it believable," said Jeff Horncastle, outreach officer with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. "Victims are seeing the number on the call display that they trust." The scam isn't new, but it's growing in sophistication, leading to bigger financial losses. For the first six months of this year, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre heard from 677 victims of the fraud, and recorded $11.7 million in financial losses — close to double the amount in the same period last year. Montreal police, who are investigating a criminal network involved in the scam, told CBC News they have identified at least 220 RBC customers who were victims of the fraud. Police estimate total losses of $1.5 million. RBC told CBC News the bank doesn't comment on ongoing police matters, but said that it worked closely with Montreal police during the investigation. When should victims be compensated? After RBC denied her refund, Plett says she escalated her case at the bank and was denied again, so she has now escalated it to the final level at RBC. "They can do better for the people that are trusting them with their money," she said. "I understand that I messed up, but I didn't know I was messing up." Victims of the bank investigator scam can seek reimbursement, but banks often hold the customer responsible and reject their request, or provide only a partial refund. WATCH | Scotiabank scam victim on the hook for $20K: Consumer advocate and lawyer Sylvie De Bellefeuille argues banks should be obligated to provide full compensation. "People were tricked," she said. "They shouldn't be held liable. We have to take into consideration, these kind of scams are very elaborate strategies." De Bellefeuille and her organization, Option Consommateurs, are currently helping 14 victims of the bank investigator scam — all seniors in Quebec — fight for reimbursement from their banks. She says 12 of the victims are RBC customers. "[It] really has a bad effect on people," De Bellefeuille said, adding that some of the victims have lost part of their retirement savings. Victims of credit card fraud are protected under federal law, but banks can argue the rules don't apply if they determine the customer "demonstrated gross negligence." And there are currently no legislative requirements for banks to reimburse customers for unauthorized banking transactions, Finance Canada told CBC News. De Bellefeuille says the federal government needs to beef up regulations to ensure victims of this type of scam get their money back. "People feel victimized [the] first time because they've been a victim of fraud, but also a second time because, afterwards, the banks basically said, 'Well, sorry, it was your fault.'" RBC responds RBC spokesperson Cheryl Brean didn't answer questions about Plett's case, including questions about why the bank declined to provide a refund. She did say the bank takes customer concerns seriously and deals with its clients directly. Brean also said that RBC works hard to prevent, detect and investigate fraud, which includes collaborating with police and other entities on the matter. "Financial crimes are increasingly sophisticated," she wrote in an email. On its website, RBC guarantees customers a full refund for digital transactions they didn't make or approve, if they show they've "been a victim of fraud, theft or have been coerced by trickery, force or intimidation." Plett says because she learned she had been scammed from RBC, the bank knows she's a victim of fraud. She says when the real RBC called shortly after the scam call, the bank told her that a fraudster had made two wire transfers totalling $5,410 from her business account. "They're the ones that called me and said there's been fraudulent activity in your account. So then you would think, 'Oh good, they're going to help me.' " Plett's bank records, seen by CBC News, show that money was also taken from her mortgage line of credit. On top of losing $14,510, RBC charged her $35 in fees for the two wire transfers. Hours after CBC News sent RBC a media inquiry about Plett's case, she said the bank called to tell her it's investigating the matter. What is Ottawa doing? Last year, the federal government held consultations on proposed changes to strengthen federal protections for bank customers. Proposals include a requirement for banks to collect and report data on scams targeting customers, and provide fraud victims reimbursement beyond a yet to be determined amount, regardless of how their funds were accessed. The maximum amount card fraud victims are liable for is generally capped at $50. The federal Department of Finance had no update for CBC News on when the proposals could take effect. De Bellefeuille says change needs to come soon, because the bank investigator scam does not appear to be letting up. "Lots of people are losing money." If you get a fraud alert call from your bank, experts advise that you should hang up and call the bank back directly using the number on their official website or your bank card to ensure it was actually your bank that called. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBS News
04-07-2025
- CBS News
Cook County Sheriff's Office warn of phone scam
Cook County Sheriff's Office warns of phone scam asking for payments Cook County Sheriff's Office warns of phone scam asking for payments Cook County Sheriff's Office warns of phone scam asking for payments The Cook County Sheriff's Office is warning about a new phone scam aiming to con people out of thousands of dollars. The office said the caller claimed a person failed to respond to a grand jury subpoena and now must deposit $9,500 into a Cook County Jail kiosk or face arrest. The sheriff's office reminds the public that no government agency requires people to make payments at the Cook County jail or to anyone else. The sheriff's office advises anyone who encounters this call to get their full name, badge number, and phone number. They also advise not to follow the caller's instructions but to call the department they claim to represent.
CTV News
30-06-2025
- CTV News
Warning about unsolicited home repair offers: police
A beam is measured and marked at a housing site in Madison County, Miss., Tuesday, March 16, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Rogelio V. Solis Windsor police are warning the public about unsolicited home repair offers after an increase in suspected fraudulent activity. 'We have received reports of individuals offering residents home repair quotes, intentionally causing damage during the work, and then demanding extra payment to 'fix' it,' say police in a post on social media. Police say if approached, verify the legitimacy of the home repair company before agreeing to services or sharing personal information. If you suspect fraudulent activity, take note of any vehicle license plate numbers and report it to police immediately. Officers say it's important to stay vigilant and protect yourself from potential scams. If you have information or suspect any fraudulent activity, contact the Financial Crimes Unit at 519-255-6700, ext. 4330. You can also contact Windsor & Essex County Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at
CBC
05-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Employment scams are common but there are ways to protect your money, personal info
Social Sharing With university graduates searching for post-grad work and students looking for summer jobs, the Better Business Bureau Atlantic is warning job seekers about employment scams. "These types of scams are problematic for sure throughout the year … but certainly, you know, instances of reporting can go up in more popular times for people to be looking for employment," said Julia Lewis, president and CEO of the Atlantic chapter. According to the bureau's national risk report, employment scams ranked the second riskiest scam in 2024. Lewis said this is because these scams have a high median loss at around $2,500. She said there's a few ways scammers target job seekers for money. One way is to put the applicant through somewhat of a hiring process, which is usually quite quick, and the scammer will say they're sending the person a cheque — whether it's for office equipment or gift cards for clients. "They will send the cheque, the person will go off to the bank, they'll cash it [and] immediately, they will get a message from the scammer saying, 'Oh, we've actually oversent money to you, can you please send us back a … certain amount?'" said Lewis. "They're sending that money back, unfortunately, before the cheque is cleared and, you know, the cheque never clears, and then they end up also being out the money that they sent." According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's website, there has recently been an increase in crypto job frauds. Using real names of companies, the scammers will offer people freelance jobs to boost products, apps or videos on a software. But once the person installs the software, they will receive tasks they need to complete and may receive a small payment to prove legitimacy. Then, the scammers will say you can earn higher commissions by boosting more products but the person will need to pay fees to gain access to that work. When the victim deposits the money, they'll be able to see it in their crypto account, but won't have the ability to withdraw it or the money they earn. Vigilance encouraged during application phase While employment scams don't typically occur during the initial application or contact, Lewis said it's always a good idea not to blindly apply to a posting without doing your own research first. Moncton-based Beverly Somers, the co-founder and managing partner for Smart Human Resource Solutions, said it can be a good idea to get in touch with the person listed on the posting or, for larger companies, see if you can find someone in your network who can confirm the validity of the company or job. She said the applicant could also check the company's social media pages, such as LinkedIn, to see if you have any contacts who work there. "It's a little bit of background work that, you know, people might need to do, but it's a good way … just to validate and make a connection with somebody in the company," said Somers, adding that it could also help ensure your application gets seen. Somers said when people are applying to jobs, they should never be required to provide personal information for an application such as date of birth, an address or your social insurance number. And Lewis said it's important for job seekers to look for indicators, such as a potential employer wanting to set up an interview over some kind of messaging app rather than a video call. The position may be advertised as a work-from-home opportunity, offering a salary that seems "too good to be true" for the role. "They're often wanting you to make a decision really quickly, so they may offer you the job on the spot … to get, in those instances, your personal information through social insurance number, your banking information, that type of thing," said Lewis.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Stockton police warn residents of potential phone scams
( — The Stockton Police Department is warning residents about potential phone scams in the area. Police said they were made aware of potential phone scams using the department's non-emergency phone number, 209-937-8377. Scammers reportedly call about involvement in fraud. Man disappears amid attempt to walk from Northern California to the ocean 'The Stockton Police Department wants to remind all residents that we will never call or contact you to request payment of any kind,' SPD said on social media. 'If you receive such calls, it is a scam. Do not provide any personal or financial information. If you have any questions or believe you've been targeted, please contact the Stockton Police Department.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
