An Ontario student warns people about the risk of failing to report a lost debit card after $ 14,000 from fraudulent activity fell into her RBC account.
Ontario college student Francis Ward said her bank card went missing last fall, but she never noticed because she mostly uses her phone for mobile payments.
But someone either found her bank card or took it and used it to deposit counterfeit checks, the first being for about $ 2,000.
Francis’ mother Marilyn Ward also has her name on her account because she created it with Francis.
Marilyn said the account did not have an overdraft, so when fraudulent checks put the account in a negative position, they should never have been allowed to cash.
“I do not know why it was allowed to happen. The account has no overdraft, so the first check went through and into overdraft and now had to be stopped, “said Marilyn.
In one week in September 2021, a series of counterfeit checks worth about $ 13,000 were cashed.
The branches are in RBC and the bank conducted an investigation and found that the card was not declared missing and whoever had the card must have known the secret access code.
“They basically said you were responsible for the missing money because they said it was your card and your PIN (personal identification number),” Francis said.
Frances said she did not know how anyone could have known her PIN.
“I didn’t write it down and it wasn’t my birthday,” Francis said.
RBC told Wards in a letter that they must reimburse the bank for the amount of counterfeit checks plus interest at $ 14,071 and that “we now require you to pay the full amount overdue.”
The Wards believe that the bank should not have allowed the checks to be cashed and said that they should not be held responsible for the fraud.
“This is not money we took from the bank and we should not be held responsible,” Francis said.
When CTV News contacted RBC, Edith Galinitis, RBC’s director of communications, said: “We are reviewing customer complaints about unauthorized transactions on a case-by-case basis. We also remind customers of the importance of protecting their PIN and client card and provide guidance on how to do so. “
“In all cases, we work with the client throughout the process and inform him, as we did in this case. We shared our findings on this issue with our client and explained the reasons for our decision based on a careful review of the relevant facts. “
After CTV News contacted RBC, the departments said they had been told they would not have to return the money, which came as great news for them.
“I am just happy now that this is clear, as it has been going on for more than nine or 10 months. It’s such a relief, “Marilyn said.
It is important to know where your debit and credit cards are and to report them missing immediately if they are lost or stolen. You should also check your bank accounts frequently to look out for any suspicious activity and contact your bank or credit card company if you see something that doesn’t look right.
Add Comment