A Brossard man has been trying unsuccessfully since last November to get a refund from TD of $18,450 he lost at the hands of a scammer posing as the bank’s customer service representative.
“The rates keep going up because they don’t want to make a deal because I’ve always made payments. So we’re going to wait until I’m really in trouble and then we can help me?” Marc-Émile Duquette asks discouraged.
On Oct. 20, the 44-year-old accomplice reported a $919.80 fraudulent transaction using his TD credit card. The representative of the institution said that an investigation would be opened and Mr. Duquette would be recalled.
A month later, a TD employee called Mr. Duquette to confirm that he would be credited and a new credit card would be sent.
He was expecting a call from TD
The day after this announcement, while at work, Mr. Duquette received another call from someone claiming to work for TD. He is then informed that there are more suspicious transactions going on in his account and that identity theft appears to have taken place since scammers, in addition to opening a now negative bitcoin account.
In the end, pressure is put on Mr. Duquette to take care of the situation quickly, as other customers have experienced similar events and had to pay off the amount of the debt because they did not act quickly enough.
Marc-Émile Duquette is then invited to go to a TD branch and it is argued that his help will be invaluable in putting a stop to the scammers. Then he falls into a trap, because he is not online with the TD, but with an unscrupulous manipulator.
“Because this person already knew about the previous fraud on my account, I acted carelessly,” regrets Mr. Duquette.
Marc-Émile Duquette hired a lawyer to get a refund from TD. PHOTO QMI AGENCY, MARIO BEAUREGARD
Fallen into the trap
Mr Duquette expected to speak to an employee at the store but was asked to be subtle. He is told that the money will be returned to his account to be used to reset the Bitcoin account, allowing scammers to be traced. He is asked for his password and Mr. Duquette is concerned but is offered convincing arguments. He carries out the given instructions and withdraws as much as he can from his line of credit and credit card, then goes to a bitcoin counter where he needs to deposit the funds.
Shortly thereafter, Marc-Émile Duquette found he had lost $18,450, reported the fraud to his bank, and then lodged a complaint with the Longueuil police. He then took many steps and hoped for a refund.
“I caught a fire and ended up putting it in the hands of a lawyer,” he says.
However, the formal notification sent in May had no positive effect.
Ongoing investigation
TD, in the voice of his spokesman, says “how painful the situation must be for his client”, without being able to provide information on a specific file. She claims to be in direct contact with Mr Duquette and that the investigation is still ongoing.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center recommends never giving out personal information when making unsolicited calls. In Mr. Duquette’s case, his attorney, Hélène Blanchard, argues that had it not been for the initial fraud and subsequent communications with TD, he would never have let up.
Can you share information about this story with us?
Write to us or call us directly at 1-800-63SCOOP.