Ontario man tries to retrieve funds after online banking mistake
An Ontario man said an online banking mistake caused him almost a month and a half of aggravation.
“I was making a payment through my Scotiabank online banking and I paid it to the wrong account," said Fred Martin, who lives just south of Ottawa.
Martin was trying to pay his tax bill and meant to send money to Revenue Canada, but he clicked on the wrong payee and accidentally sent more than $2,664 to a MasterCard account with The Hudson’s Bay Company.
Fred’s wife Anne said it’s been frustrating trying to get the accidental payment sorted out.
“It's been five weeks now and you get on the phone for two hours with the bank, no exaggeration, and with the Bay too," Anne said. "You get off the phone and you are no further ahead then when you started."
Millions of Canadians use online banking everyday to pay their bills and send e-transfers without problems, but if you do make a mistake it can be difficult to rectify it, if you don’t catch the error the same day.
Fred said he realizes it was his mistake for clicking on the wrong payee in his online banking, but he can't believe there isn't some way to reverse the funds.
To make matters worse, the MasterCard account with Hudson's Bay was closed years ago, so it's not clear where the money went.
They were told their bank should send an authorized debit request to get the money back from the MasterCard account, but they said after more then a month nothing has worked.
“I feel awful. I feel terrible. I’ve even had a couple of sleepless nights you know. I made a big mistake and I feel terrible," said Fred.
CTV News reached out to the Hudson’s Bay Company and Scotiabank and they agreed to review Martin's case.
“We have contacted the customer and communicated our attempts to resolve this matter as quickly as possible," a spokesperson for Scotiabank told CTV News Toronto.
"We encourage customers to always carefully review the details of their online banking transactions, including ensuring that payee information is accurate when paying bills online as funds are transmitted directly to that payee when the transaction is processed. Scotiabank customers can reverse a bill payment before 8:30 pm ET on the same day they made it.”
A spokesperson for Hudson’s Bay Company told CTV News Toronto that, “As an update, MasterCard has processed the return and the funds are back in Mr. Martin’s account. This has now been resolved.”
The Martins contacted CTV News Toronto to say that after we got involved, they got their money back.
“It's been six weeks of frustration. We really did believe we were not going to see that money again, we really didn't so it’s a major relief,” said Anne .
Fred said he'll be more careful banking online in the future.
If you make a mistake in your online banking contact your bank right away.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.