‘Very good actors,’ A Toronto woman scammed out of $1,300 is warning others to be aware

What to know

Toronto resident Sally Ritchie had her chequing account drained after scammers swapped her debit card during a fake pizza delivery interaction

The fraud involved two teenage girls and a man posing as a delivery driver, who distracted Ritchie while obtaining her PIN and switching her card.

Ritchie lost $1,300 within minutes and says the scam worked because it targeted her instincts as a mother to help.

Toronto police say they are aware of similar incidents and warn that debit card switch scams carry serious criminal charges.

A Toronto woman is warning others after falling victim to a debit card swap scam where fraudsters emptied her bank account within minutes.

On her way to a local pharmacy, Sally Ritchie says she was approached by two teenage girls near the intersection of Bloor Street and Runnymede Road earlier this month. The girls claimed their mother had ordered a pizza but only had cash, while the delivery driver insisted for a card to be used to complete the transaction.

In a hurry and believing she was helping out, Ritchie agreed to cover the $20 charge on her debit card in exchange for cash and walked with them to a white van parked nearby, topped with what appeared to be a Domino’s delivery sign.

“They’re kids, they’re hungry. One’s saying, ‘We can’t reach mom.’ … In the back of my mind, I’m thinking, ‘This is stupid,’ but I did it anyway because they were teenage girls, and they looked like they needed help,” Ritchie told Now Toronto. 

Ritchie said she initially tried to tap her card, but the man in the van, who posed as the delivery driver, told her the card would have to be inserted. He took her card as the girls continued to chat with her, handed her the terminal to enter her PIN, and provided a receipt that appeared legitimate.

The girls thanked her as Ritchie walked away, unaware her card had been swapped for a fake.

Five minutes after the interaction, the woman headed to Shoppers Drug Mart to pick up her prescription, but her debit card was declined. When she checked her account, she discovered her chequing balance had been completely drained.

“I knew instantly what had happened,” she said. “They took $1,300.” 

She says it took about 10 minutes to realize the driver had actually switched her card during the transaction. Her immediate fear was that the fraudsters would gain access to her entire bank account or even open a line of credit in her name, but she’s grateful the loss was limited to what was in her chequing account. Ritchie says she would normally never fall for a scam, but as a mother, this situation felt different.

“I’m used to ignoring phone calls, texts and emails that I know are fraudulent. But this one, because it involved two girls, and they looked to be teenage girls, it hit my heart. I’m not gonna leave these girls cold and hungry on the street,” she said. “They were very good actors.”

Debit card switch scams are common in the city and often rely on distraction. In June, Toronto Police Services (TPS) laid 108 charges against 11 people in connection with a taxi scam that allegedly defrauded victims of more than $500,000 over a 10-month period by swapping their cards during transactions.

Toronto police say they are aware of several incidents similar to Ritchie’s, involving the same method and female suspects, which they say could face serious consequences if caught. 

“This is a criminal offence, and suspects can be charged with either fraud over $5,000 or fraud under $5,000, depending on the amount of money fraudulently taken from the victims,” TPS Media Relations Officer Laurie McCann told Now Toronto. 

Police also urge residents never to hand over their bank cards, shield their PINs at all times, and immediately contact their bank and local authorities if fraud is suspected.

Meanwhile, Ritchie is sharing her experience on social media, hoping her story will prevent others from making the same mistake.

“If anybody’s asking you for anything that involves your card – your credit card or your debit card – walk away,” she stressed. “They hit you where it hurts. They look for vulnerabilities. They look for people who look to be good targets. I was obviously a good target.”