Ontario college student Francis Ward said her bank card was lost last fall, but she never noticed it because she mainly uses her phone to make mobile payments. But someone either found her bank card or took it and used it to deposit fake checks with the first one costing about $ 2,000. Frances’s mother, Marilyn Ward, also has her name on the account because she created it with Frances. Marilyn said the account has no overdraft, so when fraudulent checks put the account in a negative position, they should never be allowed to cash out. “I do not know why it was allowed to happen. “The account is not overdrafted, so the first check was passed and overdrafted at the time it should have been stopped,” Marilyn said. Over a week in September 2021, a series of counterfeit checks totaling approximately $ 13,000 were redeemed. Wards is with RBC and the bank investigated and found that the card had not been reported missing and whoever had the card should have known the secret password. “They basically said you were responsible for the missing money because they said it was your card and your Personal Identification Number (PIN),” Frances said. Frances said she did not know how anyone could know her PIN. “I did not write it and it was not my birthday,” said Frances. RBC told the Wards in a letter that they should return the amount of the fake checks plus interest totaling $ 14,071 to the bank and that “now we demand that you pay the total overdue amount”. The Wards believe the bank should not have allowed the checks to be redeemed and said they should not be held accountable for the fraud. “This is not money we got from the bank and we should not be held responsible,” said Frances. When CTV News contacted RBC, Edith Galinaitis, RBC Communications Director, said: “We monitor customer complaints about unauthorized transactions on a case-by-case basis. We also remind customers of the importance of protecting their PIN and customer card and provide guidance on how to do so. “ “In any case, we work with the client throughout the process and keep him informed, as we did in this case. “We have shared our findings on this issue with our client and explained the reasons for our decision, based on a careful examination of the relevant facts.” After CTV News contacted RBC, the Wards said they would not have to repay the funds, which was great news for them. “I’m so happy now that this has been clarified as it goes on for over nine or 10 months. “It’s such a relief,” Marilyn said. It is important to know where your debit and credit cards are located and to report that they are missing immediately if 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 does not seem right to you.
