Check your bank accounts daily for fraudulent withdrawals, advises a Red Deer-area woman who was “hacked” numerous times over six months despite changing financial institutions.
The 66-year-old retiree knows most people don’t oversee the money that’s leaving their bank accounts each day. She learned the hard way that’s a big mistake.
At first, Barb (who declined to give her full name over concerns she could be re-victimized), didn’t pay attention to six under $20 debited amounts that disappeared from her account through VISA debit.
The withdrawals were linked to everyday household items, similar to previous legitimate purchases.
Even when the debited amounts grew to just over $100, she said, “I would think, oh, that must have been when I ordered groceries…”
But Barb’s eyes were opened one day when she noticed that $1,500 had somehow been returned to her one account— even though she had just divided up this money and transferred it among three smaller accounts.
When she called the bank to enquire why the $1,500 was back in the original account, she was told that it was to be used to buy cryptocurrency. “I couldn’t even explain to you what cryptocurrency is, so it obviously wasn’t me” who made this request, said the woman.
This led to a close scrutiny of her banking history. Barb found various amounts had been stolen from her account over several weeks. A numbered company was linked to three purchases, each for around $100. One was made on a day when neither she nor her husband had left the house or ordered anything online.
Barb tried to stop these thefts by changing accounts, but the hacking continued.
She moved her money to a new bank and opened a new account. She was horrified to see the first transaction was a payment to a trampoline business located in Minnesota. Barb uses crutches and hadn’t left the country in years, so clearly, this was yet another fraud.
Police were brought in to investigate. But they were unable to tell Barb whether the same fraudster had somehow managed to track her accounts to another bank, or whether she was just incredibly unlucky and had been targeted by different criminals.
“Police told me there are people who are just sitting there all day and entering one number after another (into their computer) until something clicks,” she said.
After changing VISA debit cards, Barb was finally able to end the stealing after six long and stressful months.
While the stolen money was returned through bank insurers, Barb said waits for these processes left her and her husband financially strapped for weeks at a time. She added it also took a lot of time and effort to notify utility companies and others who make direct withdrawals from her account about all of the changes.
In the end, there was no way to tell whether her VISA debit card was skimmed somewhere, or whether mail contained some personal banking information had been stolen when she changed addresses. Barb said she never left the Red Deer area.
She urges people to stay on top of their finances. Online banking transactions have become a regular part of life that can’t be avoided, but can present opportunities for criminals, she said.
“Now I sometimes check my accounts three, four or five times a day, I am so paranoid.”
March is National Fraud Prevention Month and the Red Deer RCMP is encouraging residents to shred confidential documents so they don’t fall into the wrong hands.
From 12 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, banking, tax or investment documents can be brought to the Carnival Cinemas parking lot. These confidential documents will be accepted by RCMP officers, secured in locked bins, and then shredded on-site courtesy of Merlin Shredding.
This year, Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s Red Deer chapter will benefit from the minimum donation of a toonie per box of shredding. Residents are encouraged to follow a limit of three small boxes or grocery bags per household.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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