A couple in Ayr is missing nearly $9,000 from their chequing account was allegedly targeted by an online fraudster.
Debbie Jansen tells CTV News she logged on to pay a bill on Tuesday morning when she noticed the transactions, and that her balance was only $180.
She believes someone hacked into her Prosperity One Credit Union account, transferring thousands out and then using thousands more to pay a mysterious credit card.
“They went in and set it up like a bill payee, and then went and paid the bill…my money to their MasterCard.”
The Jansens have notified the bank and the Waterloo Regional Police Service about the scam.
The bank issued a statement saying “Our members will not be held accountable if the police investigation confirms that there was no negligence on their part.”
Jansen has been told that an investigation into the transactions could take weeks.
“I spoke to a bank manager and he was telling me the first trace they saw, this was in September, and they’ve been watching the account, and apparently whoever is logging in, is logging in from a Rogers Wireless IP address in Montreal.”
Fortunately the couple has money saved with another bank to get them through.
And Jansen says she’s learned how important it is to monitor your accounts and change passwords frequently.
