A Toronto mother of two is relieved that her money has been returned after a fraudster removed thousands of dollars from her bank accounts and racked up debt on her credit card.
Courtney, a local content creator, was robbed of her savings following a phone call last week with a scammer who claimed to be an employee of the BMO Fraud Department.
She says the call came from the phone number on the back of her BMO card. On the other end of the line, a fraudster pretending to be an employee asked her to verify suspicious transactions on her card.
She told Now Toronto that the scammer asked her to verify her details, including her address, birthday, and name. He then began listing recent transactions on her card, which were real. Under the guise of protecting Courtney from fraud, they then changed the surname and password on her online banking and provided her with the updated sign-in details, locking her out of her accounts.
Courtney did not disclose how much money was stolen from her accounts.
After reporting the fraud to her bank and police, Courtney spoke about her case on TikTok. Now Toronto covered the story last week and reached out to BMO, which said it had a good conversation with the customer before resolving the case as part of its regular process.
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“Because of you guys, I guess reaching out to BMO last week, that little bit of fire under them, they reached out to me last Friday to say we are looking at your case and we’re hoping that it’ll get resolved,” Courtney told Now Toronto on Wednesday.
She says the bank assured her she would have her money returned to her account in the next 48 business hours.
“It was an, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it,’ type of situation. So, obviously I was checking my accounts religiously.”
She says BMO called her back on Tuesday, saying that her money had been returned to her bank accounts.
“I think I had checked my account an hour prior. So, like a part of me definitely didn’t believe it, but I went into my online banking and sure enough, all of the funds, every single penny, was back in my checking and my savings account.”
Courtney was required to return to her branch to ensure the funds were legitimately in her account, and employees at the bank confirmed the good news. However, she says that she is still waiting for the funds to be returned to her credit card, but BMO says her credit card company has to process those returns.
For any victims of fraud, BMO advises them to contact the bank and police immediately.
“It is an extremely difficult situation for anyone to fall victim to a criminal scam,” a BMO spokesperson said in an email statement on Wednesday.
“Scammers can go to great lengths to defraud people, and it’s more important than ever for customers to be mindful of their security.”
FRAUD AFTERMATH: RELIEVED AND CAUTIOUS
Saying it was a traumatic experience, the Toronto content creator shared that she is relieved to have her money back. But she is also more careful, and nervous than she was before the scam.
She offered some advice, hoping to help others avoid finding themselves in the same situation.
“Be so careful if you see a call from your bank because that’s what I saw on my phone, don’t pick it up,” she advised, saying it’s better to miss the call, and then call the bank’s number to ensure that is who was trying to contact you.
“If they call you for any reason, it’s going to be on file, so it’s something that you can either call back about or go to the branch and verify yourself.”
She also shared advice in a TikTok video.
@.closetcrusader The steps I took right after my money was stolen from my bank accounts. Let me know if you have any questions. Stay safe 🖤 #canadian #fraud #scam #advice ♬ original sound – Courtney – Closet Crusader
Courtney credits Now Toronto, and the power of social media where she originally posted her story, with the speedy resolution.
“My video going viral, and Now Toronto reaching out, like really lit a fire under them, or at least that’s what I’m assuming happened,” she said.
“I always want to believe that, you know, BMO was on my case,” she said, but explained that when she went to the branch to verify the money had been returned.
Courtney was told by her branch that it usually takes 15-30 business days for a fraud resolution. However, when she went to the bank to confirm the funds were being returned she was shocked by the speedy process.
“The teller looked to me, and she’s like, ‘I don’t know why your case is special, but they’re on it.’ Like they were very confused.”
She says that while she is grateful for the return of her savings, not everyone will have the same quick resolution.
“It shouldn’t have to take posting on social media and really getting the word out there publicly for people to have a speedy resolution,” Courtney said. “I understand that the banks have to conduct their own fraud investigation. I mean, at the same time, you know, they have to verify that I’m not a fraudster.”
But she says she’s heard stories of other people in similar situations who have not been so lucky.
“I just really wish that there was a better way and a better process to get this resolved and get it resolved quickly.”
