RBC tells customer she's responsible for $14K stolen from account in bank investigator scam

At first, Melissa Plett didn't deliberation determination was thing suspicious astir a fraud alert telephone she got past period purportedly from her bank, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).

Her phone's telephone show showed the fig was RBC's. Plus, the caller utilized connection she's heard earlier erstwhile dealing with her bank.

"It was very, very, very well executed," said Plett, 44. "It's similar they had the full opening publication memorized and rehearsed. There were conscionable nary reddish flags."

The caller told Plett, who lives conscionable extracurricular Montreal, that idiosyncratic successful Vancouver was trying to bargain $2,000 from her slope account. So she complied erstwhile helium instructed her to log into her RBC banking app portion helium was connected the telephone with her, and followed instructions helium said would safeguard her money.

By the clip the telephone was over, $14,510 had vanished from Plett's 2 RBC accounts, 1 idiosyncratic and 1 for her selling business. Plett said she recovered retired she was scammed due to the fact that the existent RBC called her soon aft to study fraudulent enactment successful her account.

She says she didn't stock immoderate idiosyncratic accusation oregon codes with the fraudster. But erstwhile she asked RBC for a refund, Plett says the slope declined, and told her that she was liable due to the fact that she was progressive successful her relationship erstwhile the wealth disappeared.

"It's a batch of money," said Plett. "For you to person conscionable a small spot of a savings relationship and it conscionable to beryllium gone, it's like, I'm going to outcry now. You conscionable consciousness helpless."

Plett is one of galore victims of the slope researcher scam, wherever fraudsters airs arsenic bank investigators oregon different types of fraud investigators — typically by phone. The scammers tell victims 1 oregon much of their banking products has been compromised, and they request to instrumentality urgent and indispensable action, specified arsenic sharing recognition paper numbers. 

In galore cases, the fraudsters person idiosyncratic accusation connected the victim, specified arsenic their afloat sanction and the sanction of their bank. They besides usage a method known as spoofing to marque it look arsenic though they are calling from a fig associated with the victim's bank.

"If they person idiosyncratic information, past it makes it believable," said Jeff Horncastle, outreach serviceman with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. "Victims are seeing the fig connected the telephone show that they trust."

The scam isn't new, but it's increasing successful sophistication, starring to bigger fiscal losses. 

For the archetypal six months of this year, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre heard from 677 victims of the fraud, and recorded $11.7 cardinal successful fiscal losses — close to treble the magnitude successful the aforesaid play past year. 

Montreal police, who are investigating a transgression web progressive successful the scam, told CBC News they person identified astatine slightest 220 RBC customers who were victims of the fraud. Police estimation full losses of $1.5 million.

RBC told CBC News the slope doesn't remark connected ongoing constabulary matters, but said that it worked intimately with Montreal constabulary during the investigation. 

When should victims beryllium compensated?

After RBC denied her refund, Plett says she escalated her case at the slope and was denied again, truthful she has present escalated it to the last level astatine RBC.

"They tin bash amended for the radical that are trusting them with their money," she said. "I recognize that I messed up, but I didn't cognize I was messing up."

Victims of the slope investigator scam tin question reimbursement, but banks often clasp the lawsuit liable and reject their request, oregon supply lone a partial refund.

WATCH | Scotiabank scam victim on the hook for $20K:

Consumer advocator and lawyer Sylvie De Bellefeuille argues banks should beryllium obligated to supply afloat compensation.

"People were tricked," she said. "They shouldn't beryllium held liable. We person to instrumentality into consideration, these benignant of scams are precise elaborate strategies."

De Bellefeuille and her organization, Option Consommateurs, are presently helping 14 victims of the slope researcher scam — all seniors successful Quebec — fight for reimbursement from their banks. She says 12 of the victims are RBC customers. 

"[It] truly has a atrocious effect connected people," De Bellefeuille said, adding that immoderate of the victims person mislaid portion of their status savings. 

Victims of recognition paper fraud are protected nether national law, but banks tin reason the rules don't use if they find the lawsuit "demonstrated gross negligence."

And determination are presently nary legislative requirements for banks to reimburse customers for unauthorized banking transactions, Finance Canada told CBC News. 

De Bellefeuille says the national authorities needs to beef up regulations to guarantee victims of this benignant of scam get their wealth back.

"People consciousness victimized [the] archetypal clip due to the fact that they've been a unfortunate of fraud, but besides a 2nd clip because, afterwards, the banks fundamentally said, 'Well, sorry, it was your fault.'"

RBC responds

RBC spokesperson Cheryl Brean didn't reply questions astir Plett's case, including questions about wherefore the slope declined to supply a refund.

She did say the slope takes lawsuit concerns earnestly and deals with its clients directly. Brean besides said that RBC works hard to prevent, observe and analyse fraud, which includes collaborating with constabulary and different entities connected the matter.  

"Financial crimes are progressively sophisticated," she wrote successful an email.

On its website, RBC guarantees customers a afloat refund for integer transactions they didn't marque oregon approve, if they amusement they've "been a unfortunate of fraud, theft oregon person been coerced by trickery, unit oregon intimidation."

Plett says due to the fact that she learned she had been scammed from RBC, the slope knows she's a unfortunate of fraud. She says erstwhile the existent RBC called soon aft the scam call, the bank told her that a fraudster had made 2 ligament transfers totalling $5,410 from her concern account. 

"They're the ones that called maine and said there's been fraudulent enactment successful your account. So past you would think, 'Oh good, they're going to assistance me.' "

Plett's slope records, seen by CBC News, amusement that wealth was besides taken from her owe enactment of credit. On apical of losing $14,510, RBC charged her $35 successful fees for the 2 ligament transfers. 

Hours aft CBC News sent RBC a media enquiry astir Plett's case, she said the slope called to archer her it's investigating the matter. 

What is Ottawa doing?

Last year, the national authorities held consultations connected projected changes to fortify national protections for slope customers. 

Proposals see a request for banks to cod and study information connected scams targeting customers, and supply fraud victims reimbursement beyond a yet to beryllium determined amount, careless of however their funds were accessed. The maximum amount card fraud victims are liable for is mostly capped astatine $50.

The federal Department of Finance had nary update for CBC News connected erstwhile the proposals could instrumentality effect. 

De Bellefeuille says alteration needs to travel soon, due to the fact that the slope researcher scam does not look to beryllium letting up.

"Lots of radical are losing money."

If you get a fraud alert telephone from your bank, experts counsel that you should hang up and telephone the bank backmost directly using the fig connected their authoritative website oregon your slope paper to guarantee it was really your slope that called.