Ontario woman appealing bank's decision to not reimburse her after scammers drain nearly $4K from her account

An Ontario woman has decided to appeal her bank’s decision to not reimburse her after scammers drained nearly $4,000 out of her bank account.

“Maybe we should put our money under our pillows. It might be safer,” Andree Perreault of Pickering, Ont. told CTV News Toronto.

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“Losing almost $4,000 is a lot of money for me.”

Perreault recently retired from her teaching position and just received her first pension cheque.

It was in early August when Perreault noticed some strange activity in her bank account. She said she saw someone had issued two e-transfers out of her bank account totaling $3,918.

“I thought, ‘My gosh, my account.’ I was down almost $4,000, so I immediately called my bank," said Perreault, adding she banks with the Bank of Montreal (BMO).

When she contacted BMO, she said she was told someone hacked into her bank account and her e-mail account to request a two-factor authentication code – which is how they were able to make those transfers out of her account.

“The bank said they had my password and my bank card number, which is weird because I had it with me and I never lost it at all,” said Perreault. “They said I must have clicked on something, but I never did.”

A spokesperson from BMO told CTV News Toronto they were not able to comment on Perreault’s specific case due to customer confidentiality.

“We were in touch with our customer and provided an update on our investigation,” the statement reads.

“In situations involving a suspected fraud, we always encourage customers to contact the police so we can fully support their investigation and the successful recovery of funds. With telephone fraud and digital crime on the rise, it is important to remember that protecting accounts is a partnership between customers and their bank.”

BMO also reminded it is the customer’s responsibility to ensure their account information – from their passwords to their PIN – is protected at all times and that they regularly monitor their account activity. Customers who bank with BMO’s mobile app should also regularly update it so they can continue to protect themselves against malware, the bank added.

“If customers think they are becoming victim of a scam or notice strange activity on their account, they should report it to their bank immediately and contact the police. For reference, here is a resource highlighting types of scams that customers should be aware of,” BMO said.

Perreault said she is not getting her money back, and is upset the bank isn’t reimbursing her.

”Yes, the scammers are getting fancy, but the banks should be held liable to give your money back. I didn't do this and this was my money that they had,” Perreault said, which is why she is lodging a complaint with the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI).

If you have a problem with a bank you can't resolve, you can file a complaint with the OBSI as it is free to do and they will review your issue to see if they feel you deserve compensation.