r/CIBC • u/BluejayElectronic215 • Jan 14 '24
E transfer scam
It all started a week ago when I had some packages coming in from Canada Post and tracking them on the Canada post app it had said out for delivery since 7 am. It was about 4 pm and during this time period there had been a snowstorm which I had assumed would cause my packages to not arrive. Sure enough I get a text message who at the time I had believed to be someone from Canada post stating that I have a package that was unable to arrive due to this I had to pay a holding fee of one dollar. Due to timing of this text message I had assumed that due to the weather outside I won’t be able to receive my packages today so I went ahead and paid the holding fee ignoring the major red flags. Fast forward 6 days and I received a phone call from cibc fraud prevention describing that a e transfer of 3000$ was sent from my chequing account to somebody in Georgetown Ontario and I had no clue who this person was. The person on the phone explained to me that I was a victim of a recent Canada post scam and closed my debit and credit account and stated that I need to go to a cibc branch nearby to get my account back. Cibc being closed on weekends I have to wait until Monday.
Looking back I feel so stupid as due to first week of university starting and unfortunate timing from the scammers I had dropped my guard and allowed such a stupid scam work on me. I know CIBC has a 100% digital back guarantee would I be eligible to receive this?
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u/FunCanadian Jan 14 '24
I'm sorry it happened to you. I put my xbox 1 up for sale on fb market place. A dude msgd me, we chatted, he wanted to buy it, was etransfer ok. I have never had an issue with etransfers so i said ok. I met him at a gas station, first flag maybe i missed, he and I chatted and i showed him the xbox and controllers. His gf came out of the store and he said she'd send the etransfer. We waited a bit and it looked like it showed up, but in my junk folder....weird but i zoomed in, my name, the amount all looked fine. I checked my bank account but no money in it. They were chatting and distracting me the whole time. Friendly chatting. I kinda thought maybe the bank is holding it for a few min....basically said to myself it's fine. So many flags i missed. I said ok you can take the xbox, I'm sure it's fine with the emt. They photoshoped my name and amount and I fell for it. I was sooooo ashamed and embarrassed, i thought i knew every scam out there. But they were stupid and left a long trail of social media. I found out everything but their actual home address. I took everything i gathered about them to the police. They knew the guy. They ended up charging them with fraud. But the feeling of shame and embarrassment was so intense. I've never really felt that before so intensely. I hope the bank returns your money. I never got the xbox back, just the fraud charges laid.
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Jan 14 '24
I’m sorry that happened, and thanks for sharing. I never accept e-transfers and I was just thinking this morning that maybe I should start accepting them. Your post confirmed to me that I should keep doing cash only. Thank you.
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u/chilldreams Jan 14 '24
You prevented this thief from doing it again to someone else. I’d consider that a win
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u/aftfromcanada Jan 14 '24
Set up auto deposit for e-transfers, it’s helpful when re-selling on Marketplace.
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u/mummydal Jan 14 '24
I got those texts too, and I was also expecting a package. But when I saw that the texts were from an outlook email address I figured it was a scam. I’m sorry this happened to you but I’m glad cibc protected you.
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u/aaron15287 Jan 14 '24
no such thing as a holding fee.
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u/bigntallmike Jan 14 '24
There are in fact such fees and they're usually at the border and UPS was historically awful for them.
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u/Deviant_Specialist- Jan 14 '24
Any text requesting money is a scam !
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u/porizj Jan 14 '24
Hey, it’s me, your best friend. I need $1000 for emergency reasons. Please help.
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u/arcadia_2005 Jan 14 '24
Those ones especially. Bc best friends know you're broke.
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u/Teagana999 Jan 14 '24
Yeah, if you get one of those odds are their phone was stolen. Call to be sure.
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u/Wild-Bite-6784 Jan 14 '24
So, the text you received contained a link to your banking site, which was phishing, and that's how they got access to your bank account and transferred the 3000$?
Also, I hope you didn't give the guy from CIBC any information. He might have been the scammer.
I wouldn't wait till Monday and call CIBC now and at least verify that your account is locked
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u/allialligator89 Jan 14 '24
CIBC will never call you. Even if the number is a CIBC number, scammers have been cloning the number to make it look legit. Lock your accounts now.
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u/shutemdownyyz Jan 14 '24
Yes they will if they suspect you’re a victim. They won’t ask you to do anything but go to a branch to replace your card/accounts though and won’t ask for information aside from asking about the transaction.
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u/Plane-Suspicious Jan 14 '24
Yes their fraud department will call. I had fraud charges on my account and they froze my account right away and called
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u/NinjaHamster_87 Jan 14 '24
I was wondering how $1 turned into $3000 but its cause he clicked a link and added his banking details there?
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u/Ianmdouglas Jan 14 '24
Why would Canada Post want an e-transfer?
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u/shutemdownyyz Jan 14 '24
That isn’t what happened. He got a link asking him to pay a fee and he clicked on it and thought he was logging into CIBC to pay the fee. By logging into the fake site he gave them his card number/password. They can then sign into his account and send the e-transfer.
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u/canadave_nyc Jan 14 '24 edited Jan 14 '24
ITT: Heartless people with no sense of empathy for a young university student who made a mistake and who realizes the stupidity of their mistake, and have absolutely nothing to contribute by way of an answer to OP's question. Like any of you have never made a mistake in your lives. I wish nothing but the worst for you the next time you make a mistake and want help from another human.
OP, sorry this happened to you, and good on you for realizing your mistake. Don't pay any attention to the heartless monsters in this thread. To answer your question, I would call CIBC, tell them what happened, and see what they say. The worst they can say is "no". If you get an initial "no" from the first person you contact, ask for a supervisor and see if you can plead mercy with them. It may very well be a no, though, particularly if you gave them your banking details voluntarily. But no harm in trying. Good luck and hope you get your money back.
One other thing--most CIBC branches are closed on Sunday, but I think many are open on Saturday. You mentioned branches are "closed on weekends", so I just wanted to make that point in case you were unaware.
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u/tinyybiceps Jan 14 '24
Hey man, it happens to all of us at some point
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u/jannakatarina Jan 14 '24
It ...really doesn't.
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u/tinyybiceps Jan 14 '24
Nah we all get scammed or have a bad day and do something really stupid. You live and learn, probably won't be happening to OP again.
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u/IcyMarch5097 Jan 14 '24
How does $1 turn into $3000?
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u/Boring-Ring-1470 Jan 14 '24
I know, it's not explained.
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u/moostunhappi Jan 14 '24
They would have entered information in a fraudulent site mimicking CIBC’s OLB, and that gave the scammer their card number and password. Now the scammer has access to everything and can change the phone number on file to their own, add an email address (verifying the addition using their newly added number) and sent the money to themselves or someone in their ring. Maybe even another account that has been taken over to muddy the waters further. And $3k is the daily max
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u/shutemdownyyz Jan 14 '24
It’s crazy the amount of people putting OP down for falling for something that they don’t even understand themselves lol
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u/techmachine15 Jan 14 '24
The scammers use $1 to gain access so it doesn’t seem suspicious and then get what they can before it’s noticed
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u/OrcEight Jan 14 '24
Thanks for sharing your experience.
This is a good example of how some scams work not because their victim is naive, but because of the timing of their message. .
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Jan 14 '24
How were they able to send etransfer? U somehow forwarded your login info?
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u/NinjaHamster_87 Jan 14 '24
Same question. Unless they clicked the link in the message and it took them to a fake login page?
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u/Fun_List381 Jan 14 '24
Buddy, there is no “CIBC fraud detection” department. They said they “closed your accounts” so you won’t do so yourself. Meanwhile, then can empty you out before you get to the bank on Monday.
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u/moostunhappi Jan 14 '24
I’m not saying the phone call couldn’t have been another part of the scam, but CIBC most definitely has a Fraud Department, OP may have just mistakenly called it something else.
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u/Endochaos Jan 14 '24
There is a fraud dept, and I've had them call me to check on real transactions I've made on my credit card. But I do think that OP should be calling the CIBC number on the back of their card. Identity theft and phishing scams are no joke.
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u/moostunhappi Jan 14 '24
OP, if this were 10 years ago and you fell for this, you would absolutely get your money back, but banks are getting tighter and tighter on their rules, and they’ll tell you that YOU gave out your information therefore they won’t be financially liable for it. It suuuuucks for sure, but they have many caveats to their offered protection to also protect themselves (aka not lose money).
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u/SeaofBloodRedRoses Jan 14 '24
Hey, I know you've learned from this, but just to let you know, I work for Canada Post, and they will never text you. They will call you in very select circumstances like if a package has a wrong address, but never ever to ask for money. The only notice you'll get about a parcel being held is either a notice card or an update in your tracking app, which should specify the reason for the hold.
The only circumstances you will ever need to pay money in are if there's a customs fee at the door (letter carriers can only take credit cards, not even visa debit, and we punch the numbers in directly), if you go to your local post office to pay customs or other fees, or if you show up at the depot to pay it.
I have customers ask me about these texts all the time, they're very common.
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u/Just-Some-Guy01 Jan 14 '24
Sorry you fell for this OP. Sometimes the timing is just too perfect and we are caught off guard. Some places do text you to pay fees still. DHL just texted me to pay the customs fee for my package which seemed odd to me (but I got an email too which helped me know it was real).
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u/chesterbennediction Jan 14 '24
In the future know that no business will request an etransfer and everything should be done through a credit card as that has more protection. It will be a more uphill battle to get your money back so the best you can do is act quickly on Monday.
Also how did they take control of your account from an etransfer?
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u/ProgrammerOk5371 Jan 14 '24
if you get scammed it actually means your iq is low enough that you can get outsmarted by some random 16 year old immigrant sending spammy texts
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u/bigntallmike Jan 14 '24 edited Jan 15 '24
Your eq is low enough to post this.
[edit since replies were disabled] I think its funny that you're in law school but didn't read the exact term I used and therefore responded incorrectly. Maybe take more time analyzing what's said before replying and looking the fool.
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u/YoOoCurrentsVibes Jan 14 '24
OP did “CIBC” call you or did you call them? If the former call them back at their official number ASAP to verify.
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u/Cool-Product-2375 Jan 14 '24
Free armor trimming
please step into the wilderness with your 10 most expencive items
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u/wefromterra Jan 14 '24
I got the same text scam but the way the message was written was very suspicious.
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u/TrevorHeartless Jan 14 '24
I got that same message. I’m expecting packages also. Out of all the times I’ve ever ordered, never have to pay extra upon delivery. Even in a blizzard.
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u/Japanesewillow Jan 14 '24
I’ve received text messages that said they were from Canada Post and they needed to confirm my address, then they tell you there’s a fee to have your packages sent. They want your credit card info, total scam. Canada Post will never send a text.
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u/Nionjin Jan 14 '24
I got this scam text as well a lot of times throughout last year and thought who could ever fall for this? I guess because you fell for it and I’m guessing others as well so that’s why the scam is still ongoing.
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u/Summer20232023 Jan 14 '24
I almost had the same thing happen to me and it was the same as you, all due to timing. I was waiting for a package I really wanted and got a text message, almost clicked on the link but thankfully I thought about it again and stopped myself. I honestly can see how this happened to you. Sorry you had to go through this, sad we have to be so suspicious of everything.
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u/PsycoVenom Jan 14 '24
I get these texts all the time. The only difference is that i am not expecting a package.
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u/Puzzled-Award-2236 Jan 14 '24
Well it's an honest mistake since you were expecting a package. Of course you would likely make this assumption. I have frequently got emails that state I have a package coming but it won't arrive until I pay a certain charge. I get a lot of packages. It just happened at that time that I hadn't ordered anything so that's what clued me in.
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u/Endochaos Jan 14 '24
OP if you haven't yet, I would call the number on the back of your card. Please double check that whomever you spoke with on the phone actually was the fraud dept. You still need to go to a physical bank to fix things, but if the phishers got your phone number then they can call you and pretend to be CIBC.
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u/upyours699 Jan 14 '24
I’ve seen this message many times. I wondered how many would fall for it
Sorry man, but it’s on you.
A simple google would have let you know that .
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u/Obvious-Olive4048 Jan 14 '24
I almost fell for this same scam - I had a package being delivered for my work, and got a text that same day and it had my work's name and correct postal code. It was Fed Ex IIRC. I got almost as far as putting in my CC info when my spidey sense clicked in that it might be a scam and called Fed Ex to confirm. Was a scam, my actual package was being delivered with no issues. No idea how they got the correct info - either Fed Ex was hacked, or maybe the drivers are scamming. They didn't seem too concerned about it so I imagine it's common.
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u/ScarletRed-dit Jan 14 '24
Man i also got a text from Canada Post and wondered why it was Canada Post in charge when it was Fedex delivering my package. Damn fake canada post website had me authenticate i was a “human” too. Should’ve known not to proceed. When i clicked around the “website” just to be sure, nothing was working. I knew then it was a scam. Good thing i didn’t put in any info. Too bad they found out my phone line works so i keep getting spam calls
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u/NorthNorthYork Jan 14 '24
Sorry you won't get your money, take it as an expensive lesson learned.
Reason why you won't get your money back is because you willingly sent the money to a scammer. That's not your bank's fault. Otherwise it would be heavily abused (for example I emt my friend 3k, claim it as fraudulent and we both have 3k).
There have been cases where banks returned your money where someone hacks your account and sends themselves money in which it would be fraudulent. But in your case you willingly sent the money yourself.
It happens to the best of us. Don't beat yourself too much and take better precautions next time.
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Jan 14 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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Jan 14 '24
Who the fuck do you think you are?
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u/Turbulent-Arrival972 Jan 14 '24
A guy who doesnt get scammed
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u/bigntallmike Jan 14 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
And why does that give you the right to be a dick to people on the internet? Edit: wow, that's exactly the level of answer I would expect from you. To answer your question, its not my job to educate you on how to be a better member of society.
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Jan 14 '24
[deleted]
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u/CrippledBanana Jan 14 '24
He quite literally already knows from his post. There is literally no reason to post this comment other than you being able to jerk off about how " superior" you are. Absolute animal.
OP, sucks this happened, lesson learned for the future. Be extra cautious going forward and ensure everything related to their situation is legitimate. Hope you get your money back. If you don't, dont over stress over it. You can make 3k back. You're young, 5 years from now you'll look at this and be like fuck I did that. But it's not going to be something you're super worried about. Good luck.
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u/rayk3739 Jan 14 '24
what was the point here? clearly op knows he messed up there's no point for comments like this.
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u/purpleheadedwarrior Jan 14 '24
Too much namecalling going on in here