Ontario man in years-long battle with RBC for $8,000 after someone stole his PIN
An Ontario man says he’s been in a “helpless” years-long battle with the RBC, and is now in debt and on the hook for more than $8,000, after someone stole his debit card and guessed his PIN.
Kyle Paul Wilson, a 28-year-old student in Toronto, said someone used his card and pin at a Hamilton RBC branch to deposit and cash out two fraudulent child support cheques for $6,000.
“I have felt helpless and at a loss for hope because they’ve told me for years that there’s nothing else I can do, but pay,” Wilson told CTV News Toronto. “I’m in debt for money that someone else got from my account. They are saying I have to make payments or my credit will be ruined.”
“It’s not fair they do this to people.”
Wilson said the bank told him they have video footage of the suspect at the bank cashing the cheques, proving it was not him. However, he said they hold him responsible because the person used his PIN, which he was supposed to protect.
Wilson said he never shared his pin with anybody and never wrote it down, adding that he is unsure how the individual got a hold of the number.
He said he very rarely ever cashed a cheque prior to the incident, and questions why the actions were never flagged by the bank.
"They didn't even flag that I have never had a child support cheque before," he said.
He said his account also has a limit of $100 that can be withdrawn immediatly after a cheque deposit. The limit, he said, is imposed for three days.
“So it’s awful they cashed a large cheque for someone who is not me and did not even ask for photo ID."
Since the incident in 2018, the bank has been sending letters to Wilson, asking him to pay the total amount with interest of more than $8,000.
A spokesperson for RBC told CTV News Toronto said that they review complaints carefully on a “case-by-case” basis, and that they have notified Wilson that he was responsible for “his loss.”
“We remind clients to immediately notify the bank if they become aware of an unauthorized transaction or if their client card is lost or stolen,” Edith Galinaitis, director of communications with RBC said. “It is also important for clients to protect their PIN and client card.”
CTV News Toronto reported on a similar situation last week, where someone used a woman’s RBC account to deposit and gather fake cheques over the course of months totaling to $14,000.
The bank conducted an investigation into the cheques, but initially determined the woman would have to repay the money. She said they told her she was responsible for protecting her PIN and card.
After CTV News Toronto contacted RBC, the family said they received a call from the bank saying they would no longer have to repay the funds. It's not clear why the bank reversed its decision to ask the Wards to repay the funds.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.