My “bank” called and asked to verify some recent transactions they found suspicious. It was a charge to a car rental place in Toronto. They also said the charge had a wrong postal code on it. The person read me my actual postal code and I confirmed it.
I apparently gave them all my online banking info. I felt wary the whole time and eventually asked if I could call their fraud department back to confirm, and the person hung up immediately.
I knew I had been scammed, confirmed within seconds by texts from my online banking that my accounts were being drained. I scrambled to call my actual bank and change my password. While on the phone, I also went to the bank.
The teller pulled up my account and found the person had used my money to overpay my credit card by $5,000 and sent over $20,000 as a bill payment to the CRA for my own CRA account. The teller canceled the bill payment and the money was returned. I am not out any money currently. I did not owe the CRA any money.
I’m concerned that since I use my bank as a sign-in for my CRA account, the person could have gained access to it as well. I’m worried they got my SIN and this is all a setup for bigger fraud. I’ve opened accounts with Equifax and TransUnion to monitor. My bank card and credit card have been canceled, and my online banking deactivated.
Update: I changed passwords and set up two-factor authentication on my email, bank, and CRA. I contacted Canada Post and my mobility provider; nothing had been changed. They’ve been flagged. I have monitoring through Equifax and TransUnion, and my SIN has been flagged for potential breach. I removed my bank account as a sign-in partner with the CRA and deleted my direct deposit. Nothing on my CRA account had been changed by the fraudster. I went to the bank and confirmed everything looks okay, and my money is in my new account.
This was a violating lesson to learn, but it could have been much worse. I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Biggest takeaway: If your bank calls you about potential fraud, hang up and call them back at the number on the back of your card.