A DRIVER has claimed she’s been left in the dark after thousands of dollars vanished from her bank account.
Hope Colton, of Ottawa, said the money disappeared after she received a text message that she admitted wasn’t unusual.
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Colton, 25, clicked on the link before allegedly being swindled out of more than $4,500.
“It all started with a text I got about a speeding infraction, which isn’t out of the ordinary for me, so I quickly paid it off and that is exactly what got me,” she told CTV News.
She claimed her Scotiabank account was taken over by fraudsters.
Colton saw $4,500 wiped from the account before managing to shut it down.
She alleged they changed her bank details and impersonated her.
She then claimed she received a call from someone purporting to be a Scotiabank worker.
Colton said that her cell phone caller ID made it seem that it was coming from the bank.
She admitted she had a suspicion something was not right while on the call to the man.
“He said he would be calling for me to sign an NDA and I should not be talking to anybody regarding the fraud,” she claimed.
Colton and her friend later researched the number that called and unearthed it was a scam.
The bank launched an investigation into her case, but Colton claimed it appeared the company was saying she was responsible.
“They’ve pretty well left me in the dark,” she said.
She lashed out at how Scotiabank representatives apparently dealt with her case.
A Scotiabank spokesperson told CTV they take fraud cases seriously.
Top tips on avoiding scams from a bank
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
But they didn’t share any details about Colton’s case.
The U.S. Sun has approached Scotiabank for comment.
Scotiabank has warned about the different types of scams that exist.
Customers have been urged to be cautious about fraudsters impersonating bank workers.
Fraudsters are also known for impersonating government agencies and police forces to scare customers.
Scammers target victims by claiming accounts are at risk of being hacked.
Customers should end calls straight away if they suspect they are not as all it seems.
Bank workers will never ask customers to share account numbers or one-time passcodes.
Fraudsters also try to lure their victims by enticing victims into clicking links for promotions that seem too good to be true.
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