A Calgary‑area restaurant owner is sounding the alarm after thousands of dollars in staff tip money vanished from a digital wallet system he once relied on.
Armin Bansal says the funds were withdrawn without explanation, and despite repeated attempts to get answers, he’s been left with an empty account and growing frustration.
Bansal says the issue began on Jan. 28, when he discovered that roughly $7,500 had been withdrawn from his account.
“We found that about $7,500 were withdrawn from our Everyday Wallet account,” he said. “My account balance went zero, and we were never returned any of the money.”
He says he contacted both companies behind the platform, XTM Inc. and Everyday People Financial, but has yet to receive a clear explanation or reimbursement. He has since stopped using the service altogether.
The Alberta Hospitality Association says Bansal is not alone. Executive director Mona Pinder says restaurants across the province have reported similar concerns.
“The Bank of Canada is investigating this,” Pinder said. “There’s also a Canadian anti‑fraud number they can phone, so they can understand the scope of this across the country.”
Calgary Police confirm they are investigating two formal complaints linked to the companies.
In response to inquiries, Everyday People Financial said responsibility lies with XTM. XTM, meanwhile, told CityNews it has not controlled the accounts since November of last year.
With no resolution in sight, Bansal says he is preparing legal action.
“It’s definitely very frustrating,” he said. “I sent a demand for a resolution, I’m giving them 14 days to resolve it outside the small business claim court.”
He has already paid his staff out of pocket to ensure they weren’t left short, but he warns other business owners to think twice before relying on digital tip‑payout platforms.
Bansal says he’s urging others to avoid the app entirely and return to traditional methods of distributing tips.